The Crown Game
by Billatrix Lestrange
Summary: 100 years have passed since the Oblivion Crisis. Now Royals and nobles plot and scheme, motivated by their own agendas, aiming to see their choice for Emperor on the throne. With intrigue and war, only one will triumph. Chapter 14 is up! Read and Review.
1. Prologue: The Crown Game

Prologue

High Chancellor Ocato opened the door to the Imperial City's Elder Council Chambers, knowing it could very well be the last day of the Empire. The High Chancellor had aged much in the past century. Once considered the pinnacle of Altmer success, Ocato was now shunned, even by his own people. Ocato had failed in his duty.

The Elder Council Chambers were filled to capacity today. Representatives from every province of the "Empire" were present-Altmer, Argonian, Bosmer, Bretons, Dunmer, Khajiit, Nord, Orc, Redguard, and, of course, Imperial. Each of the delegations was displaying varying levels of contempt for each other.

Aside from representatives from the various provinces, Ocato could see the local counts. Count Janus Hassildor of Skingrad, who had not aged a day since Ocato last met him was there. Countess Miranda Umbranox of Anvil, the granddaughter of Countess Milona Umbranox was also there. Count Marcus Valga of Chorrol, the now elderly son of the deceased Arianna Valga, was speaking with Count Valin Matinus, the grandson of Salvian Matinus, who had been appointed Count of Kvatch after Count Ormellius Goldwine died. As he saw that Count Marius Caro and Countess Alessia Caro of Leyawiin were there, Ocato wondered how, and _why,_ they were still alive. Count Andel Indarys of Cheydinhal, who had aged greatly, due to the loss of his son during the Oblivion Crisis, was there. Gellius Terentius, the Skooma addict of Bravil, was alone in the corner, appearing as if he had a hangover. Narina Carvain was also there-Ocato wasn't surprised such a shrewd and ruthless woman had stayed alive so long.

As Ocato entered the room and sat in his throne at the Council table, he could already tell that this would be the day the Empire ended. The bickering in the room only grew louder as Ocato sat, only now it was directed towards him. Cries of "What do you intend to do about this?" and "Do you have any idea how serious this is?" rang through the chambers. Chancellor Ocato could not take this stress anymore.

Ocato had tried every conceivable solution to escape this. He tried retiring, but almost no one in the council would even consider it. He tried being reassigned, but the idea was unthinkable. He tried committing murder to be sent to jail, but the council pardoned him because he ended up murdering a vampire. He even considered suicide, but found it a tad extreme. He wouldn't have had to put up with this, however, if they could all agree on an Emperor.

When the Septim line ended, Ocato's primary goal was to find a new Emperor. One that all of the provinces could agree upon. However, it proved to be a task too difficult, even for one as gifted as Ocato. If he proposed anyone, one of the delegations would display a ridiculous amount of outrage. If the Nords had an idea, the Dunmer rejected it. If the Dunmer had an idea, the Imperials rejected it (mostly because it involved them seceding). If the Argonians had an idea, someone else rejected it. And if the Altmer had an idea…

The Altmer had been Ocato's biggest problem. They had been bent on seeing an Altmer on the Throne, and refused to continue to be ruled by the "lesser races." Although Ocato was an Altmer, living amongst the Imperials had taught him to lose his prejudices against the other races. However, these Altmer were highborn, and had lived in Summerset Isle for centuries, if not longer. The Altmer refused every suggestion that they had not submitted. They had even refused the Breton idea that Ocato should become Emperor, because he had not lived on Summerset Isle for over two hundred years.

Ocato knew it was time to start the meeting, yet he did not feel as if he had the strength to. However, he dutifully called out, "Ladies and Gentleman, let today's meeting begin." He knew that this meeting would end the Empire, and if it didn't, it certainly would be counter productive. It had been exactly one hundred years since Martin became the Avatar of Akatosh.

High King Eldaris of Summerset Isle stood up, preparing to speak. High King Eldaris had possibly been the worst of all of the Altmer. He was a powerful and feared mage, and had access to magic beyond the wildest dreams of even the senior most members of the Mages Guild. He was also the leader of the Altmer, and intended to become Emperor.

He was an elderly looking Altmer with auburn hair. His eyes resembled pits of eternal darkness, and his gold skin had now become white. He wore an expensive set of robes, most likely enchanted with various Daedra souls. He carried a Mage's Staff. Ocato could only imagine what it would do.

High King Eldaris was certainly the oldest of the Altmer, and had even been in power during the First Era. At the time, he was the most powerful of the Elven Emperors on Cyrodiil, even being involved in the construction of White Gold Tower. After Alessia's rebellion, rather than fleeing to the Camoran Dynasty like most of the Elves, he instead sailed to Summerset Isle, and entered Alinor, where the current Emperor yielded the Throne, and Crystal Tower, to him and his vast army. He ruled Summerset Isle for the remainder of the First Era and the entire Second Era. When Tiber Septim and the Numidium came to Summerset Isle, Eldaris, seeing not even his great sorcery could defeat the colossal titan, yielded the title of Emperor. Seeing that Summerset Isle was efficiently run, Tiber Septim appointed him High King of Summerset Isle.

Many rumors had been spread about Eldaris. The most…terrifying…was that he, and his closest followers had abandoned the Altmer Pantheon of Gods, and worshipped a being known as the Shadow God.

"Ocato, it has been long enough since we have had an Emperor." Eldaris said, and Ocato knew what was coming. "I for one will wait no longer for an Emperor chosen by this council. The fact that this council has authority is revolting-saying that Altmer are equal with the rest of you. Despicable!"

It was Duke Vedam Dren of the District of Vvardenfell, province of Morrowind who questioned what Eldaris said. "And what do you intend to do about it Eldaris. Even in your _perfection_, what can you do?"

Eldaris glared at Duke Dren and smiled. "I have a simple enough answer, Duke Dren. Summerset Isle now secedes from the Empire, and in the name of the Shadow God, by the power vested in me, I, Eldaris of Aldmeris, High Priest and servant of the Shadow God, now crown myself Emperor Eldaris I, the Shadow Emperor."

The entire council chamber willed with screams and gasps. Ocato knew it would happen. He knew that someone would secede from the Empire, he had known it would be Eldaris, and he knew it was going to happen today.

High Queen Mathilda Aureon of High Rock suddenly spoke. "Ocato, your indecisiveness has proven fatal for the Empire, and Eldaris is correct in saying that it has been too long. However, he shall not be Emperor. As High Queen of High Rock, I declare myself Empress Mathilda I. I would sooner die then see one who worships the Shadows on the Throne."

Ocato grew uneasy. While he knew that ancient law prevented battle from beginning in the Elder Council Chambers, he was afraid that Eldaris or Mathilda would defy these laws. He knew he must escape the Chambers.

High Queen Regent Aleria Willows of Valenwood stood and said, "Altmer or Breton rule? Why should I allow this? The Camoran Dynasty was once great, and the Willows dynasty can follow in it's footsteps. I declare my son, High King Farwyn Willows, the Emperor."

Mathilda appeared appalled. "Your son, Emperor? Really, do expect us to swear our allegiance to a mere child. How old is your brat? Seven, eight? Why not appoint my horse Emperor?"

Ocato was hoping that he could convince these people to rescind their claims. "Please, if do this in an orderly manner, I'm sure we can reach an agreement." Eldaris, Mathilda, and Aleria ignored him.

Aleria had been insulted at what Mathilda had said. "My son is thirteen, ready to be wed! I will serve as his regent until his seventeenth birthday, and than he shall become a talented and competent ruler, and I shall watch you both burn under his glorious rule."

Ocato was glad that the situation could not get any worse, when High King Herold IV of Skyrim rose, shouting in his Nordish accent, "If you think my people will allow ourselves to be enslaved again, you'd be wrong! I'd sooner be dead than be an Elf slave any day! I am now Emperor Herold of the North!"

"That can be arranged, by Nordic friend." Eldaris hissed. Herold lifted his enchanted frost Daedric axe and charged at Eldaris, but before doing anything, King Gro-Mak-Han of the Dragontail Mountains grabbed him, lifting him into the air.

"ENOUGH!" he yelled. "My people have been put through worse than you, Nord. We were outcasted by the Elves, and became the hideous monsters we are, not even earning citizenship until after the Numidium incident. You think you have an excuse for crowning yourself. I declare myself Emperor Gro-Mak-Han of the Dragontail Mountains, Emperor of Tamriel."

To escape his grasp, Herold elbowed Gro-Mak-Han, forcing him to let go. As the two were about to fight, Eldaris shouted, "Enough. The Council Chambers are a traditional safe location, a law set into the tower during it's construction-believe me, I know. Those who enter battle shall be smitten by the Nine, the Daedra, the Aedra, Sithis, the Tribunal, and the Shadow God alike. Return to your provinces and gather your armies, for Western Tamriel has entered war."

The Altmer, Breton, Bosmer, Nord, and Orc delegations did as Eldaris said, leaving the chambers. Ocato was worried as what they would do. The remaining monarchs, King Helseth of Morrowind, King River-Wise of Black Marsh, Queen Darbira of Elswyr, and King Kayle of Hammerfell sat in silence.

Chancellor Ocato broke the silence. "Your Majesties" he said desperately. "Where do you stand?"

It was River-Wise who answered first. "Ocato, at one time Argonia would have supported the Empire. However, you let Dunmer enslave us, and did not free us, and we are under constant harassment here. I shall return to Argonia and discuss amongst my people." King River-Wise and the Argonian delegation left the Council Chambers.

"Darbira and the Khajiit hold similar views with the Argonians. Darbira wishes that more was done to outlaw slavery sooner, rather than have us suffer for years to come. Darbira shall return to Elswyr and debate." Darbira and the Khajiit delegation left the Council Chambers as well, leaving Ocato with King Kayle and King Helseth.

Ocato felt confident that Kayle and Helseth would support the Empire, should they find a claimant to the Throne. Ocato had not the slightest idea who the Empire could support-the entire Septim line had been extinguished.

"Chancellor, I, and Hammerfell, would be honored to retain it's service into the Empire." said King Kayle. "However, before we can fight a war to rule an Empire, we need an Emperor." Kayle chuckled. "How are we supposed to do that? The Septim line is dead."

King Helseth smiled and interjected. "Not as extinct as you would think, Kayle." Ocato and Kayle were bewildered by this statement. Martin was the last Septim.

"What are you talking about, Helseth? The Septim line died with Martin." Kayle said as Ocato intently listened.

Helseth smiled once more. The grin on his face gave Ocato a sign of release, making it possible that this crisis could end quicker than expected. "My mother, Queen Barenziah, did some research on the Septim Bloodline. Cassynder Septim, one of my mother's distant cousins, had an illegitimate son. This illegitimate son also had children, and so did his children. In fact, there is one descendant still alive-Iszel Septim."

Both Ocato and Kayle were shocked by this information. With a Septim still alive, the people could rally to their support, and the war could end quickly, with the Empire surviving. Ocato had to verify the legitimacy of this claim, but that would not prove to be an issue. "Helseth" Ocato asked. "Where is Iszel from? What species is she? Where is she? And how do you know this is true?"

"All in good time, Ocato, all in good time. I have an answer to all of these questions, but the only one you need to know is that Iszel is here in the Imperial City with my mother. Do not worry about her safety, she is being escorted here tomorrow morning." Helseth said. "Now, I believe it is far too late for any more talk of politics and war, and I shall be going to bed. I recommend you do the same." Helseth left the chambers, and was followed by Kayle.

Shortly after, Ocato left the council chambers, and began climbing the stairs in the White Gold Tower, to go to his chambers. He was relieved that this war could be over quickly-Eldaris, Mathilda, Aleria, Herold, and Gro-Mak-Han would all turn over there claims, and order would be restored.

At least he hoped it would.

As Ocato reached his chambers, he heard a noise behind him. He could not tell what it was, but something was there. And as Chancellor Ocato turned around, peace died, as the being began to suck the life out of him. Within moments, Chancellor Ocato was dead, and the Empire had entered a state of war.


	2. 1: Scheme's of Barenziah and Helseth

Authors Note: I forgot to write my disclaimer last time! All TES characters belong to Bethesda software; my characters are my characters, so on and so forth, etcetera, etcetera, ditto, ditto.

Chapter 1-Shceme's of Barenziah and Helseth

Queen Barenziah and King Helseth were preparing Iszel for her meeting with High Chancellor Ocato (at this point, neither knew of the Chancellor's unfortunate demise). Iszel was a young girl, barely eighteen. Iszel's race was nearly impossible to identify. Many thought her a Dunmer, due to a dark skin. However, many thought her an Altmer, as her dark skin looked nearly gold. Many suspected she was a Breton, as she looked Elvish with human ancestry. Others said she was a dark skinned Imperial, due to her social charm and grace. One person had even suggested that she was a Nord, due to her radiant red hair. However, they were all wrong. In her genealogy, Iszel had all of these races, and more. But Iszel's parents-her mother was Ilmeni Dren, the daughter of Duke Vedam Dren, and her father was the Nerevaraine, Magianicor, an Altmer. This made her Half-Dunmer, Half-Altmer.

Iszel was young and poor, and until Barenziah found her not three nights before, she was a beggar. As rumor had it, she was in service to Gray Fox and the Thieves Guild, but Barenziah had not yet confirmed this detail from her.

Barenziah worried of what would happen. Iszel had never received formal education. To prevent embarrassment, Duke Dren had hidden Iszel at her birth, for the child was illegitimate, and she was raised by poor farmers. As she had not received a formal education, and only had learnt some farming knowledge, Iszel was barely literate. She had no idea as the History of the Empire, she could not count to a hundred, and she had never even seen the performing of a spell.

However, Barenziah knew Iszel did have one major positive aspect: she was highly ambitious and determined. When Iszel was sixteen, she had left her adopted parents farm to go to the Imperial City and make a living as a merchant. However, when she arrived, she found the city was cruel.

Iszel went to the Office of Imperial Commerce, hoping to get a loan to start a shop. However, they quickly turned her down. Iszel than tried to get an apprenticeship at a store. The only store that accepted her was "Jensine's Good as New Merchandise", run by the very kind, if not very elderly Jensine. For five weeks, Iszel felt as if she could finally succeed, and that she had found a home with Jensine. However, after that, Jensine had died, and the Office of Imperial Commerce took possession of the store, as Jensine had not left a will and had no next of kin.

By this point, Iszel was poor, and had a need of making a living. She tried thievery, but had failed miserably, being caught in an attempt to steal an outfit from Palonyria, who had caught Iszel in the act. As one of the wealthiest and most powerful merchants in the city, the guards quickly came to the aid of Palonyria, and arrested Iszel in minutes.

After being freed from jail, Iszel was contacted by a man known as the Gray Fox. She had received instructions to meet with his emissary in the Waterfront District of the Imperial City. She did as she was told. When she arrived, she expected to be offered to join the Thieves Guild. However, the Emissary, a Bosmer woman named Methredel, had told her that her thieving skills needed work. Instead, Methredel told Iszel to become a beggar. In exchange for protection from thievery, and a few gold a month, Iszel would spy on the Imperial Guards and report to Methredel. This was Iszel's only source of income. Until now.

Three nights ago, after many months of research, Queen Barenziah had traced the Septim line, and had found that Cassynder Septim had an illegitimate daughter. Following this research, she determined that Duke Dren had married one of Cassynder's descendants, and that Ilmeni was descended of Cassynder. Originally, at learning this, Barenziah had begun scheming to place Ilmeni on the throne. However, after speaking with Ilmeni, Barenziah had learnt two things.

The first was that Ilmeni did not want to be Empress. Ilmeni had denied herself the privileges of being noble born, and was living with paupers in Vivec. Although Barenziah respected Ilmeni's wishes, it had hampered her plans.

Secondly, Iszel had a better claim. Magianicor of Summerset Isle was a descendant of the Camoran Dynasty, which had been a powerful force anywhere south or west of Cyrodiil. The merging of the two lines of royal blood could potentially win over Elsweyr and Argonia to the Empire. That alone could exterminate the threats of Skyrim and the Dragontail Mountains. Only Valenwood, High Rock, and Summerset Isle would remain in rebellion.

Barenziah would have considered placing Magianicor on the Throne, however, he had disappeared in Akavir over a century before.

As Iszel was nearly finished getting ready, Barenziah noticed how gorgeous to girl was. Her unique skin tone made her beauty rival that of Almalexia. Barenziah knew about what had happened to Almalexia, and all though rumors of it were now wide spread, it was generally regarded as false information.

Iszel's hair was the most divine silver, her eyes the most regal violet, and the features on her face were placed so perfectly that many of the commoners would believe that such beauty could only come from royalty.

Barenziah had once been nearly that beautiful, but being over six hundred years old, Barenziah had certainly lost those lovely features. Her once raven hair had turned completely white, and her face had become wrinkled and elderly. Her eyes had lost their color, and her skin was now paling.

Barenziah had given Iszel a lovely dress, ironically from Palonyria. The dress was hand crafted in Morrowind by the finest seamstresses in Mournhold, the ones that had provided Barenziah, Helseth, and Morgiah, Barenziah's daughter, with their clothing. Palonyria had purchased it, and placed it on sale for over seven hundred Septims. Although Barenziah was royalty and had more than enough to pay for it, it was still a large sum of money.

Helseth had been waiting for them in the central chambers of the manor they had bought as Iszel was getting dressed. As they two came down stairs, Helseth noticed the beauty of Iszel, complementing her as she came down. Barenziah said to Helseth, "I now present her Imperial Majesty, Iszel Septim I, savior of the Empire and of Tamriel."

Helseth bowed towards Iszel and than turned his attention to Barenziah. "I received a letter from Morgiah. Apparently, authorities from the Tribunal Temple have already learnt of our status, and are seemingly against it."

Barenziah became slightly worried at this, but ignored it for now. "Helseth, we shall worry about the Temple later. Now, we should focus on escorting Her Majesty to the Elder Council Chambers, so Ocato and in the Inner Circle can crown her."

Helseth nodded in agreement, and said. "I'll include that in reply to Morgiah, mother. The Temple can be dealt with later. Now I believe we are supposed to be at the Elder Council Chambers in fifteen minutes."

Barenziah then said, "Good. How shall be traveling? I'm afraid if we make this a high profile event, we may draw the attention of an agent of one of the enemies, something I wouldn't mind avoiding."

Iszel felt a rush of fear when she heard agents of one of the enemies, but before she could voice this fear, Helseth said, "I've arranged it so that a dozen Imperial Guards will be escorting us to the Palace. It should provide more than enough protection; it is only a five-minute walk. Iszel shall be guarded at all times. I do not know how the crowning ceremony will go, it will be unprecedented in the sense that we will not need the Amulet of Kings. Just do exactly as Ocato says."

Both Iszel and Barenziah nodded, and they left the manor located in the Temple District. As they exited the manor, Iszel saw the dozen guards. She had never been treated so kindly before. All of the protection and pampering was unfamiliar to her. She had come to see Barenziah as almost a mother, as she had never known hers.

The guards bowed towards Iszel, attracting the attention of the crowd. Barenziah looked angry with them, and quietly ordered, "No, you fools! The last thing we need is more attention."

After being reprimanded, the guards returned to their positions. As the soldiers started to move, people began looking at Iszel. She had never felt so recognized-she had always been a poor girl. However, as Barenziah had told her when they first met, "They say the meek shall inherit."

The guards proceed to the entrance of the Palace, wary of all civilians-especially Altmer, Bretons, Bosmer, Nords, and Orcs. As four of the guards entered the area, a Dunmer approached the group. He pushed his way through the guards, and said, "I have a writ." to one of the guards, before slitting his throat. As Barenziah saw this, she pushed Iszel to the ground. The Dunmer stabbed one of the guards, who fell to ground in pain, seemingly dying.

The crowds began to scream and panic. From the roof of one of the manors, an arrow was fired at the group by another Dunmer. If it were not for one of the guards, it would have hit Helseth, but luckily, the guard had thrown his shield into the path of the projectile. Helseth shouted, "Get Iszel to the Palace! Quickly, before they can kill her." Iszel was terrified of what might happen.

The first assassin had been taken down, although he had been able to stab another guard first. Iszel, Barenziah, Helseth, and the four guards that had entered the Palace grounds began running towards the entrance to the Palace. Before being able to get to the entrance, a fireball hit one of the guards, knocking him off his feet. Another Dunmer had thrown the blast, and he continued throwing spells at the guards. Barenziah noticed the guards were being taken down to easily, and screamed, "Run Iszel!"

Iszel began running, away from the two remaining assassins. As she turned away, she had seen that two more guards had been killed. Iszel found it ridiculous that they were being taken out so easily. They were Imperial Guards with swords and years of training-not a rag-tag peasant army with pitchforks.

What also bothered Iszel was why there we no other guards around-it seemed as if they were the only ones there. What crisis could have preoccupied the guards as to have it so their Empress was in danger?

As Iszel reached the door to the palace, she saw a tall and elderly Dunmer man. The man walked up to her, and said, "Iszel, your majesty. Allowing you to survive could reunite the Empire. This is a risk that High Archanon Fedris Hler is not willing to take." The man took out a dagger. Unarmed, untrained, and weak, Iszel could do only one thing. Iszel screamed.

Two guards, accompanied by Barenziah and Helseth charged up at the Dunmer. Barenziah and Helseth quickly ran towards Iszel and pulled her back as the Dunmer stabbed at her.

The first of the two guards was killed by the Dunmer, who had cut open his stomach. However, he was trampled by the second guard, knocked to the ground, and severely wounded. His blade had been pushed from his hand. The guard took out a sword to stab the man when Helseth said, "No. We need this man alive for interrogation. This is certainly going to put a damper on my relationship with the Temple."

Iszel looked up at Helseth, and said, "How do you know about the Temple being involved?"

Helseth and Barenziah gave each other a guilty glance, when Helseth turned towards Iszel and said, "I had heard rumors of this happening. I had to be sure the Temple was an enemy before I could take action against them."

Iszel became filled with an abundance of rage. "You needed to know this so much that you allowed nearly a dozen Imperial guards to die, and who knows how many of the people died. You could have caused a riot. And explain to me why the guards were being killed so easily, and where the other guards are."

Barenziah turned gave Helseth a scowl. "Helseth, please do explain. I was told about the assassination attempt, but Imperial Guards are not that easily killed, even by the Morag Tong. And where were the rest of the guards?" Barenziah scolded.

The Dunmer man they had been able to restrain was violently trying to break free. Helseth answered, saying, "I wanted to be sure that one of the people in the plot was captured. The only way I could guarantee that was if they believed they were winning. I had weakened the armor of eleven of the guards. Only our friend here has normal armor."

Barenziah and Iszel both gave him a look of disgust. "And where were the other guards?" Iszel said, mistrusting in tone. She was liking Helseth, and to a substantially lesser extent Barenziah, less and less.

"I had the other guards placed in the Waterfront district. An 'anonymous tip' reported sightings of the Gray Fox. Captain Orius Lex had the entire Imperial Legion deployed in the Waterfront." Helseth displayed very little emotion, talking in a monotone voice. Barenziah showed revulsion at her son, wishing that Morgiah had been born first, and was the ruler.

"You sicken me." Iszel simply said towards Helseth. "And you're not much better." she said to Barenziah. "You should not have allowed the assassination attempt to take place in the first place. You should have searched the city, and you know you could earn help from the beggars."

Barenziah determined that there had been more than enough of this bickering. They would have to resolve their differences later. Now was not the time, as Ocato was likely waiting. They were already five minutes late. For such a short distance, with such an important person, it was worth worrying over.

As Barenziah, Helseth, the surviving guard, and Iszel entered the Council Chambers, they found a horrible sight. The entire inner circle was there, yes. But they were all dead, and in the center of the table was Chancellor Ocato's mutilated body. On the table there was a message written in the blood of Chancellor Ocato: Compliments of the Shadow Emperor.

Outside, the lovely and young Countess Miranda Umbranox was in hiding. She had witnessed the slaughter in the Council Chambers this morning. As she was not a member of the inner circle, she had been given more of an opportunity to escape.

Only some of the Counts and Countesses had made it out alive. Janus Hassildor had left the city the night before, knowing he would have to return to Skingrad. Narina Carvain had been able to flee. The woman's shrewdness had always amazed Miranda. And Valin Matinus had escaped with Miranda.

The two of them had escaped to a cave outside the Imperial City. They were hoping that Helseth and Barenziah, or Kayle, or someone would attempt to find them. However, they knew they had to return to their respective counties quickly, or the worst could be assumed.

Miranda and Valin were the youngest of the Counts and Countesses, making their escape easy. They were able to avoid what had slaughtered the council. Miranda wasn't even sure what it was.

Still, the peerage was not without it's loses: Marcus Valga was to slow to escape. The poor man was far too old to run. This made Miranda feel terrible-Arianna Valga, for the short time she had known her, was such an astounding person, and the perfect example of a Countess, except, for maybe Countess Milona Umbranox. Andel Indarys was killed, and while Miranda was terribly saddened at that, Andel had been greatly depressed since the loss of his son. Miranda had a feeling he was happier that way. Gellius Terentius was an idiot, yet still he had not deserved to die.

Miranda had not seen what had happened to Count and Countess Caro, but _almost_ wished they were dead. She could not bring herself to hate them that much, but they were horrible people. They were rude to the commoners and Chancellor Ocato, and rumors had even started that they tortured their Argonian servants.

Now, Miranda and Valin were hidden deep within the cave. The two of them were both wounded in the struggle, although Valin had been hurt more, being hit with a fireball spell by _what_ever had caused the slaughter in an attempt to shield Miranda.

Miranda was shocked that the guards had not come to their aid. Why were they missing? Miranda could worry no more, however. She was tired, and hurt, and alone in a cave with the man she had secretly loved since she was fourteen, eight years ago.

That's the end of the chapter. Please Read and Review! Please! Review even if you don't like it, so long as it's constructive criticism.


	3. 2: Falinesti

Author's Note: Everybody, after doing some research on TES, I'd just like to say that I've noticed that some provinces have multiple families of royalty. For future parts of the story, I'd like to say that before crowning themselves, Eldaris, Mathilda, Aleria/Farwyn, and Herold were High King or High Queen (Regent), rather than just King or Queen. The others hail from provinces that either I've deemed only have one monarch, or one that naturally only has one. Considering their titles have been altered now, it really doesn't matter, but I'm just obsessed with these details.

Also, you may or may not want to have a map of Tamriel accessible in your sights while reading this. If you do, I recommend using this one (presuming web addresses appear): http // til. gamingsource .net /maps /minibigmaproadslore31gv.jpg.

Type in that adress without the spaces. If it doesn't appear, I'll post it on my profile, that is if anyone actually want's to look at it while reading.

The map at this address can be enlarged.

Chapter 2: Falinseti

As the Elder Council was murdered, Empress Regent Aleria Willows and her guard had retuned to the former graht-oak of Falinseti, capital of the Empire of Valenwood. The city, built in a tree, was a majestic sight to behold. Once ruled by the Camoran Dynasty, they had been all but exterminated during the conquest of Valenwood. Only Magianicor was a surviving heir, and he had disappeared in Akavir over a century ago.

The City was built on Tamriel's largest tree. Over a mile and half in height, and a mile in length, the city was home to thousands of people. Falinseti was the fifth largest city in all of Tamriel, and had a population of nearly all Bosmer. However, one of Aleria's first plans was to exterminate any non-Bosmer in the city, and in Valenwood, unless their loyalty could be proven. However, like many of the provinces, most of the population was a single species. The only major exception to this rule was Cyrodiil itself.

The Empress Regent and her guard, after climbing the branches of Falinseti, had arrived at Willowood Palace. Willowood Palace was the sea of the Willow Dynasty, the ruling family of Valenwood for the past four hundred and thirty four years, since the last Camoran King perished when Tiber Septim took over.

The Empress Regent entered the Palace, and her guard soon switched from Bosmer soldiers to the household guard of Willowood Palace. The guards, commanded by Captain Arthronir Thornall, were specifically trained to guard the Bosmer Monarch and his or her family.

Aleria was generally considered the most beautiful of the Bosmer. Her uncommon long and blond hair was radiant and glowing, her green eyes symbolizing nature, and her petite height was a sign of beauty amongst the Bosmer.

As the guard took her through the Palace, they arrived at the Castle Hall. Aleria was infuriated-her ministers and advisors should have been assembled for her council. Her messages had arrived on time. They were there, and she was pleased at that, but so was her son.

Emperor Farwyn was unusually tall for a Bosmer-in fact; he was nearly six feet tall at the age of thirteen. This was an unprecedented feat in all of Bosmeri history. His height, although somewhat _revolting_ too most Bosmer, many other royal and noble families-from Valenwood, Summerset Isle, and as far as High Rock-had sent their daughters to spend a summer at Falinseti, hoping that they would marry Farwyn. Actually, Princess Rinnala of Firsthold on Summerset Isle, the daughter of Queen Morgiah Hlaalu, had spent _three_ summers in Falinseti. That would happen no more. Aleria did not even understand why any girl would want to marry him. She truly thought the boy was hideous-why would any girl want to marry a tall and strong warrior with long black hair. Who _really_ found tall and dark attractive?

Of course, she would never tell her son that he was hideous (by Bosmer standards). However, Aleria knew that was irrelevant now. He was at a council meeting. Thirteen was far too young to be involved so greatly. Aleria would do all of the work for the next four years, until he was old enough to take over.

Aleria marched towards the council table, and saw that Farwyn's governor, Lord Thormis, was instructing him onto govern. The audacity of such a sight bothered Aleria to no end. She would rule and instruct as she saw fit. "Thormis!" Aleria screamed as she reached the table. "How _dare_ you let my precious boy sit in on a council meeting? You are removed from your position, and stand accused of treason. I convict you. Guards, cease him!"

The guards did as instructed, and the members of the council gave each other nervous looks. Farwyn spoke to his mother, saying, "Shut up, woman. Can't you see this is a war council, not a card game!"

Aleria flinched at this. She was in charge, not him. She loved her precious abomination of a child, however hideous he was, but she was in charge, not some teenaged usurper. "Farwyn, sweetie, mommy's home, and I think it's time you go-"

Farwyn appeared angered at this. "You heard me, you idiot. Shut up, and leave. I'm Emperor, not you." He said, spitting in her face.

Aleria's eyes narrowed. "Farwyn, you may be Emperor, but until you're seventeen, I'm in charge and I'm the regent! Do you understand me? Go play with your friends, while mommy sits on the boring council." Aleria yelled.

Farwyn disobeyed his mother, and shouted back at her, "My friends don't play, you ugly cow. They train in combat and go raiding in the wilderness Skyrim, killing their men and taking their women. Going on one of those raids while you were at the Imperial City was the best fun I've ever had, you old hag."

Aleria grew furious at this statement. "You went on a raid in the Nordic wilderness. You train in battle, and could get hurt. You sit in on council meetings. I AM IN CHARGE, NOT YOU!" Farwyn now cowered as his mother's shrieks, which were heard all over Falinseti. Aleria turned towards the council, and continued screaming. "And you! You have thirty seconds to explain to me why this was not included in the reports sent to me, or you will all be executed!"

In less than _ten_ seconds, the entire council unanimously agreed on one thing. It was Lady Oakenelm, a friend and minister of the Empress Regent, who said it first. "It was all Lord Thormis who did it! He was left in charge of Farwyn, not us. He was to send reports concerning him."

This calmed Aleria's rage towards the council. She turned her attention towards Farwyn, and screeched, "If one Nordic woman comes here claiming that you're the father of her child, you will be sorrier than any of our enemies when we triumph over them. LEAVE AT ONCE!" Farwyn ran out of the room without hesitation.

Aleria calmed down. She wiped some sweat off her face, and sat down at the council tables. The six ministers in attendance was the inner circle of the Falinseti royal family. Captain Thornall was given a seat because of his position as the head of the guards. Lady Oakenelm was the treasurer, and was considered an unscrupulous figure in the court. Lord Deadwood was the minister of war, and Lord Leafroot was the distributor of laws. Lady Rosebush served as the minister of communication and diplomacy. Finally, Lord Redwood was the chief member of the council, and served as the Hand of the Emperor.

On the council table, Aleria saw a map of Tamriel. Her ministers and Farwyn had been working out a war plan, using a series of wooden pieces. She noticed that they had first intended to sail from Falinseti to Anvil, taking the peaceful city without must resistance. From there, they had intended to march on Kvatch, and terrorize Kvatch and Anvil counties for a month or two, plundering and taking over. Meanwhile, they would also focus on defending their eastern border from an Altmer invasion by the construction of several fleets.

"Ladies, Lords, the plan you are using was devised by a thirteen year old." Aleria said peacefully. "Do you really think it would be that efficient? I don't." As she finished saying that, she wiped her hand across the map, clearing the pieces.

The ministers looked at Aleria shocked. "Your Majesty," Lord Deadwood said, surprised at the erratic behavior of the Empress. "That plan was actually military genius. Taking Anvil and Kvatch would crush the west of the Empire. We would have put a stop to their breadbasket early in the war. We would have won over King Maglir of Woodhearth and Queen Ganredhel of Haven. With the other Bosmer royalty on our side-"

Aleria cut him off. She appeared furious. "Did you say that Haven and Woodhearth have not sided with us yet? If we don't have Haven and Woodheart, we don't have anything north of Eldenroot. Every major city in Valenwood save this one and Silvenar is in their territory!" Aleria was panicking. Without Maglir or Ganredhel on her side, she controlled only half of Valenwood. How was her son to become the only Emperor with half of a province?

Deadwood responded to the Empress, saying, "Your Majesty, if we were to go through with Farwyn's plan, we would them over. King Maglir and Queen Ganredhel have remained neutral so far because they believe that Valenwood does not stand a chance. We are in a terrible military position, your Majesty. Our seaboard is cut off by Altmer and to the north is Cyrodiil. If we go east, we have Elswyr, a province that has thus far remained neutral according to all reports, but will easily be antagonized against us. They want to see we can win before they side with us. They want proof with victory!"

Aleria was unimpressed by Lord Deadwoods explanation. "They want proof of victory, do they? So be it. March our armies on Woodhearth. Leave only enough men to defend Silvenar and this city. Take the city quickly through siege. Kill King Maglir, and hang his head and his dismembered body around the city, as a reminder to who the Emperor is. After that, most of his vassals shall come to our side. That should be enough for Queen Ganredhel. We shall contact Haven after we have taken Woodhearth."

Lord Deadwood choked as Aleria said this. "Y-your Majesty," he stuttered. "That is insanity! We are trying to war against five other Emperors and Empresses, and you want to fight our potential allies."

Aleria smiled at Lord Deadwood, and said, "Lord Deadwood, if you would like to disagree with me, feel free. However, as Empress Regent, I have the authority to place you in jail under the charges of treason. Guards, arrest this man for treason at once."

Two guards rushed towards Lord Deadwood. Lord Deadwood, rather than putting up a fight, sat still. Before the guards could take him away, however, he said, "You may have a horrible child, but he knows how to win war. You have all of his flaws and worse."

Aleria became angry with this, but did not show it. After Lord Deadwood had been taken away, Aleria said, "Would anyone else like to disagree with my plan?" The five remaining ministers remained in silence, not wanting to suffer the same fate as Lord Deadwood. "Good. What are you waiting for? I don't see an army being marshaled.

* * *

Author's Note: That was a short chapter, I know, but I wanted to introduce the struggle in Valenwood. 


	4. 3: Intrigue in High Rock

Author's Note: This chapter has a lot of information from Daggerfall in it. Although I don't own Daggerfall, and have never even played it, I've done countless hours of research (okay, two or three hours of it) to make sure I'm not contradicting anything. For those of you who have never played Daggerfall (which, after looking at my reviews, isn't as many as I'd expect), I'll explain things as best as I can. Also, I just realized, I was spelling Falinesti as Falinseti.

Chapter 3: Intrigue in High Rock (Didn't this happen in Daggerfall!)

Empress Mathilda Aureon, former High Queen of High Rock and former Queen of Daggerfall, had returned home to Daggerfall, where thousands of people had gleefully anticipated her return.

Mathilda's return was not a pleasant one. Mathilda and her escort had originally planned to return by a caravan, however, they were thwarted, as the only way to go to High Rock by land was through Hammerfell or Skyrim, an idea that Mathilda did not enjoy. Even if they had made it through, they would be near Orsinium, or even worse, Wayrest. The last thing Mathilda needed was a meeting with Queen Elysana of Wayrest, who would easily support her ally of Orsinium.

When Mathilda ascended to the Throne of High Rock and Daggerfall, she quickly learned that Elysana was…difficult, and aimed at becoming the ruler of High Rock. The fact that she had been able to out maneuver Helseth _and_ Barenziah, and oust them from Wayrest completely, made Mathilda worry.

That is not to say, Mathilda did not have her own plans and manipulations at work. At one time, Mathilda was only seventh in line to the Throne of High Rock and Daggerfall, and was only a niece to High King Gothryd. She had been able to remove those before her in the line of succession. The only member of the _actual_ royal family she had not been able to dispose of was Nulfaga, and she was not in the line of succession. However, the old mystic was still a threat to her, and was dangerous.

However, the highlights of Mathilda's political maneuvers was not the taking of the Daggerfell Throne, it was the assassination of Gortwog gro-Nagorm, the King of Orsinium. Gortwog was a political genius who had earned the alliance of Wayrest and Queen Elysana. Because of this, Wayrest had become more powerful than Daggerfall. Even if Daggerfall had remained the capital of High Rock, Elysana had more power than Mathilda, which bothered her to no end. By removing Gortwog from power, Mathilda had thrown off any scheme they could have had. The next leader of Orsinium, Gro-Mak-Han, was also dangerous, but was not as politically gifted as Gortwog, foiling Elysana for a while.

What Mathilda had, however, was the firm support of the other monarchs of High Rock. Prince Mathias Corvas of Camlorn, Queen Anya Alorva of North Point, and King Ernarad of Evermore had all sworn their loyalty to Mathilda in a plan to expel Elysana from High Rock. With the support of Camlorn, North Point, and Evermore, Mathilda had secured control over most of High Rock, as Wayrest controlled few towns, and used their Orc alliance to remain powerful. Now, Mathilda had an opportunity to banish Elysana.

To arrive at Daggerfall, however, Mathilda and her forces had gone by ship. To arrive at a port, Mathilda used her connections in the Mages Guild to teleport from the Arcane University to the Anvil branch of the Mages Guild. From there, she was able to buy a ship.

Although the Archmage of the Mages Guild was the Imperial Champion, an Altmer named Axenon, Anthrus Polus, the grandson of Raminus, did most of the work. Mathilda and Anthrus were old friends. Although the Mages Guild, as of now, was neutral, Mathilda believed she could get them on her side.

Mathilda knew she needed all the allies she could get. Cyrodiil would undoubtedly win the most allies, presuming they could find a claimant. King Helseth and Queen Barenziah would give their support to a claimant to the Empire for sure. Helseth was never one to _be_ Emperor. Helseth's power was in his workings behind the scenes, not openly. This would earn them the support of the Dunmer House Hlaalu, and their allies, most notably House Dres. And knowing the loyalty and obedience of the Redguards, it wouldn't be surprising if King Kayle of Hammerfell declared for Cyrodiil. With a claimant, Argonia or Elswyr might support Cyrodiil as well.

Summerset Isle would be a powerful adversary. In her decade of rule, Mathilda had learnt that Eldaris was powerful and dangerous, and had connections. Rumor had it that he had even met with the King of Worms recently. Mathilda knew that this was impossible, as the King of Worms was killed by the current Archmage. At least she thought he was. Mathilda didn't want to learn about the tricks Eldaris had planned.

Skyrim, too, was powerful. As it was the oldest human nation, Mathilda worried that even some of the Imperials, and even Bretons would support Herold. Not only that, Skyrim was directly adjacent to the eastern border of High Rock, near the Duchies of Jehanna and Farrun, major cities of High Rock.

What worried Mathilda most however, was not Summerset, not Cyrodiil, not Skyrim, and certainly not Valenwood, was Orsinium, or more appropriately, the alliance of Orsinium and Wayrest. Being within High Rock itself, they could destroy High Rock from within.

Mathilda and her guard entered the Great Hall of the newly renovated Castle Daggerfell. Mathilda's throne, made of mithril, was the centerpiece of the Great Hall. Surrounding it were a dozen glass thrones. Four of these thrones were four Elysana, Mathias Corvas, Anya Alorva, and Ernarad, the monarchs of High Rock. The other eight served as seats for Mathilda's advisors.

No one was in the Great Hall now, save Mathilda and her guards. Mathilda was planning to have a council meeting that evening, after she had made an address to the public, regarding her claim to the Throne. After her public address, she and her council members would sit down, and prepare a course action. Mathilda knew, however, unlike certain of enemy leaders, most notably Aleria Willows, she was a competent military commander.

Mathilda knew that the people of High Rock had had varying opinions on her. When she first took the throne, many of the people of High Rock, especially those of Wayrest, detested her, and very few of the High Rock nobles truly considered powerful. However, when she had increased Daggerfall's power, she had won the support of Daggerfall. Queen Anya Alorva had seen an opportunity to strike down Elysana at this point, and had allied herself with Daggerfall. After Wayrest and Daggerfall, North Point was the most powerful of High Rock's kingdoms. With this newfound support, many of High Rock's nobles began to support Mathilda, most notably King Ernarad and Prince Mathias Corvas of Evermore and Camlorn, respectively. Now, for the most part, only Wayrest and its allies were enemies of Mathilda. Yet, the populace of High Rock still had changing degrees of mistrust towards Mathilda. While they supported her to eliminate Elysana, all of them, at least on some unconscious level, believed that Mathilda could be worse than Elysana, and become the _new_ most feared ruler in the west.

Mathilda looked at one of her guards, saying, "Guard, bring me my councilors. Tell them to meet me here in the Great Hall in the next hour, first for the public conference, secondly for the Council meeting. If we intend to win this war, we have to act quickly."

The guard bowed towards Mathilda, and said, "Yes your majesty, at once."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

An hour later, the eight regulars on Mathilda's council had arrived. Marie Charin, Mathilda's Steward, was a close friend of Mathilda's and a powerful ally in her court. A Breton roughly the same age as Mathilda, Marie appeared young, as she and Mathilda were only in their mid-thirties.

One of the most powerful members of the council was Adwin Magis, the court Sorcerer. Mathilda disliked Adwin, but as he was the senior most member of the council, he was a powerful figure, and controlled many political officials.

The only other member of the council to equal Adwin in power was Viktor Ergeon. Mathilda's general. Another member of the council Mathilda did not like, Viktor was still invaluable. His military genius even surpassed Mathilda, and his command over the troops was indubitable.

Mathilda possessed one other major ally on council, and that was the local Magistrate, Antilles Nylan. Antilles was a respected member of the community, even though he had taken more than one bribe. His influence was one of the things that allowed Mathilda to be cleared of all accusations of murdering the various officials in her way.

However, both Adwin and Viktor had their creatures on the council. Ormax Philulaine, the Treasurer, and Sylvie Characal, the Lore Keeper, were more loyal to Adwin than they were to Mathilda. Viktor had his pets too. Camille Sette, the Researcher and Scientist, specializing in Dwemer and Alyied artifacts, as well as the Task Master, Francois Gillelle, who was in charge of the servants in the Castle, were strong supporters of Viktor.

While Adwin and Viktor had their own agendas, Mathilda still knew that they were supporting her claim to be Empress, something she could not lose. After the initial phases of the war were over, Mathilda decided she might replace them with more trustworthy advisors.

Mathilda looked towards her councilors, and began to speak. "Greetings councilors. As you all have heard by now, I'm no longer your High Queen, I am Empress. However, we have entered state of war, with the treasonous provinces of Cyrodiil, Summerset Isle, Skyrim, Valenwood, Morrowind, and Hammerfell, as well as the treasonous cities of Orsinium and Wayrest. Argonia and Elswyer have remained neutral thus far, and are not declared treasonous. However, should they declare against us, they will be." The council all understood the present situation. Mathilda continued, "In the next half hour, I am going to allow and open floor conference with the people of Daggerfell, addressing any questions, comments, and complaints they may have, that, of course, do not incriminate us. While I believe Daggerfell shall remain loyal to us, it is best to secure that loyalty now."

The Council members nodded in agreement, and knew that, for now, they would support their Empress. After the nodding, Viktor took the silence as an opportunity to ask a question to Mathilda. "Your Majesty," Viktor said, "What plans do you have for military conquest of Tamriel. As you know, before we can accomplish anything, we must first secure control over Wayrest and Orsinium, as the pose the greatest threat. However, it is also necessary to secure our eastern borders from Skyrim, as the Duke of Jehanna will not be happy if he wakes up to see his city under siege. In addition, our southern border is near Hammerfell, who, according to the information I heard before, support Cyrodiil. King Ernarad is one of our most powerful allies. I highly doubt that losing Evermore to the enemy would keep him on our side."

Mathilda stared at Viktor, and simply said, "We shall discuss this at the council meeting later. First comes the public audience." Mathilda knew that Viktor was already looking for holes in Mathilda's plans-he would want an excuse to place himself as Emperor quickly.

The pre-address council had ended, and the councilors started talking amongst themselves. Marie went over to Mathilda, and whispered, "Mathilda, I haven't told anyone about this yet, I swear. But rumor has it that on Summerset-"

Mathilda silenced Marie, said, "Quiet, Marie. If it is so important to keep it secret, speak with me after council. I'll tell you what I think of it then. Until then, however, tell me. How have things been while I was gone?"

Marie looked up at Mathilda, who was nearly a half-foot taller than she was, and said, "Not as good as you would hope. Elysana is scheming, and you know that when Elysana schemes it's bad. Even worse, Nulfaga has grown worse. She bothers me to no end, trying to learn information. Mathilda, I think she knows what you've done to get the Daggerfall Throne."

Mathilda quickly and quietly responded, "I know she does. She's wanted me dead ever since I took power. She doesn't trust me, and I don't trust her."

Marie softly whispered, "What do you think she plans to do? Do you think she'll help Elysana and Gro-Mak-Han?"

Mathilda knew that was ridiculous. The only thing Mathilda and Nulfaga agreed upon was their hatred for Elysana. However, Mathilda did not believe she would remain loyal. "No. She will either support Cyrodiil or she may decide to flee to Valenwood or even Summerset Isle."

Marie looked worried, and said, "What should we do?"

Mathilda did not know. Nulfaga was a semi-respected and influential figure, even if recently the people were souring towards her. Arresting her could cause a scandal. However, if the arrest were kept private…yes that would work. Nulfaga rarely left her chambers, now that she was old and fragile. One or two of the servants did all of her tasks for her. If she arrested Nulfaga and her two servants during the public address, no one but Marie, Antilles, and a small group of guards would ever know. "Marie, find six of my most loyal men." Mathilda whispered. "During the public address, have them arrest Nulfaga and her two servants. Give them instructions on how to find my secret prison chambers and have them place her there. Once the arrest is finished, have the guards served some wine. I want the wine poisoned, so no one will ever here of this. However, make sure the poison is served in different amounts, so they die at different intervals. Give Antilles the report or arrest, but bribe him to tear it up. That way, should it ever come back to haunt us, Antilles will be the only one who is implicated in the destruction of evidence." 

Marie nodded, and quickly did as she was instructed. When she returned, she winked at Mathilda. The public meeting was about to begin. The citizens of Daggerfall all entered the council chambers.

Mathilda welcomed her people. "Greetings, people of Daggerfall. As you have undoubtedly heard by now, I have been declared Empress of the High Rock Empire, and am not the true ruler of the Empire. However, four other pretenders have made claims, and one is going to soon. We must show the strength and power of the Breton people, to show that it is our right, our honor, and our privilege to rule Tamriel."

The people of Daggerfall could do nothing but applaud. Cheers and shouts of victory filled the halls of Daggerfall Castle, and Mathilda knew she had won them to her side. With her allies, Mathilda knew she could become Empress of Tamriel.

Mathilda had one more tactic to win them over for good. "People of Daggerfall, as your Empress, I believe it is my duty to inform you of what you wish to know. If you have any questions, now, or tomorrow, or ever, I will answer them, as it is my policy to tell the people what they want to know."

The people continued applauding and cheering. After the room had calmed, one of the wealthier citizens of Daggerfall, Mathilda could not tell whom, posed a question. "Your Majesty, who are these pretenders to the throne? And what makes your claim more legitimate than theirs?"

Mathilda grew angry at the near treasonous second question. However, she remained calm and peaceful on the outside, and prepared to answer. She decided to secure their loyalty even more with her answer. "High King Eldaris of Summerset Isle has made a claim for his people, and is using the powers of a Dark God to conquer with an iron fist. Aleria Willows, the High Queen Regent of Valenwood, made a claim for her son, Farwyn Willows. A child cannot be Emperor, especially one so horrid as Farwyn. High King Herold IV of Skyrim made a claim, and is rallying the Nords to his side. Will you truly allow a barbarian such as him as your Emperor? The province of Cyrodiil has not yet made a claim, to my knowledge, but as they are the current seat of the former Empire, they will."

The Breton who posed the question asked, "And the other claimant, your Majesty?"

Mathilda took a deep breath, and said, "King Gro-Mak-Han of Orsinium has declared himself Emperor, and he is supported by our age old enemy, Elysana of Wayrest." The crowds gasped at the revelation that Elysana was against them. No one in Daggerfall liked Elysana, yet none of them would ever have expected her to side against them in this war. They were now more determined to remove her from power than ever. "And why I possess a better claim, you ask? It is because all of the other claimants wish to rule with hostile intent towards this city, and this nation. We must stand united and defeat our enemies. We shall kill the Orc King and oust the traitorous Queen from Wayrest. High Rock shall grow in its glory, and we will come into a new, glorious golden age, in which Breton royalty shall rule for centuries-no, millennia, to come!"

The applauds once again thundered, only this time louder than before. Mathilda had won the people, something that she knew some of her adversaries (namely Aleria) could not do.

Mathilda spoke again. "If that is all, I declare this meeting adjourned." After the adjourning of the meeting, the room remained filled with applauds and cheering, shouts of triumph and glory for another ten minutes. As the crowd finally began to disperse, Mathilda turned towards her councilors. "Councilors, now it is time we make our plans for war. Our primary concern is to take Orsinium, followed by Wayrest. We must secure complete control over the province before we can accomplish any external conquest. At the same time, we must defend our borders from Hammerfell and Skyrim. Hammerfell will likely be preoccupied, as many of their forces will be recalled to Cyrodiil to defend it from invasions from Valenwood, Summerset Isle, and possibly Skyrim, leaving it only with a border guard. However, should Skyrim choose to march east rather than south or west, our eastern border could be in grave danger. The Nords are some of the most savage fighters on Tamriel, and they could overrun us quickly." The council nodded approvingly, even Viktor, and agreed that it was their present plan of action. "Viktor, I want you to personally lead an assault on Orsinium. Bring five thousand Battle-Mages, and as many other troops you deem necessary, so long as our cities are defended." Mathilda knew it was wise to keep Viktor away from Daggerfall as long as possible.

The council approved of her decision, and even Viktor did not put up an argument, even though Mathilda knew he was against the decision. The only thing Viktor had asked was when he should leave, in which Mathilda said in three days time.

"As that is the entire business of the council," Mathilda said, wanting to speak to Marie about her rumor, "I end this meeting. Viktor, prepare your armies for war, other councilors, be prepared for assignments at the next meeting." She sent all of them away, but glanced at Marie, giving her a look that said, "stay."

Only Marie was left in the council chambers, save a group of guards. Mathilda turned to them and said, "Leave us." The guards did as instructed, and Mathilda could no longer wait for this information.

Marie looked horrified. "Empress, the rumor I heard is what I presume you want to hear. Mannimarco has been sighted!"

Mathilda gasped at this. Mannimarco was dead. It was a well-accepted fact that Axenon of the Mages Guild had received the position of Archmage because he killed Mannimarco. "Marie, you know that's impossible. Mannimarco was killed a hundred years ago."

Marie fright increased. "That's what I said, when I heard it, your Majesty. But then I heard where he was sighted."

Mathilda knew that this could only be bad. "Where was it, Marie. Please tell me it isn't where I think it is."

Marie nodded. "He was sighted in Alinor on Summerset Isle, at the royal palace. Worse, he was meeting with one of Eldaris's agents!"

Mathilda was petrified. It meant Mannimarco was supporting Eldaris. But that was impossible. Mannimarco was dead. It didn't make sense. Mannimarco was killed by Axenon during the days of peace.

But he was meeting with an agent of Eldaris.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Well, that's the end of that chapter. By the way, I'm taking a quick poll: out of the three leaders we've been truly introduced to-Iszel, Aleria/Farwyn, and Mathilda, who would you be most likely to support? Who would you be least likely to support?


	5. 4: The Emperor of Winter

Chapter 4: The Emperor of Winter

As the intrigue in High Rock began to unfold, Emperor Herold had returned to Skyrim, and his seat of power, Winter Hold. Winter Hold was the second northern most settlement in Tamriel, and was one of the three principal cities of the Frozen Shore on the north of Skyrim, a term that was recently used for the Kingdoms of Haafingar, Dawnstar, and Winter Hold.

As Herold had traveled north, he went through Skyrim, spreading news of his claim as he marched on. Already, he had earned the allegiance of King Hironithir of Riften and Queen Potemena II of Windhelm, two of the most powerful members of the peerage of Skyrim.

The peerage of Skyrim was different from the peerages of the other provinces. In most of Tamriel, ranks included High King, King Duke, Earl, Count, Baron, and a vast number of other titles. In Skyrim, before it's secession, there were only three types of nobility-High King, King, and Chieftain. Kings and Queens were Nords of noble blood that had been appointed to rule major regions of Skyrim when the Empire took over, because they had supported Tiber Septim. Herold's ancestors had done such a thing. Chieftains, on the other hand, served as the rulers of villages and towns, and had ruled since the first era (with the obvious exception of those Chieftains who were killed and/or overthrown).

Herold was generally considered a benevolent ruler by the people of Skyrim, and was well liked. He did have the best interest of the people in mind, and he would sooner sacrifice any claim he had to any throne than allow a farmer to come to harm. However, Herold was certainly not the brightest of the current Emperors and Empresses (not to imply he was stupid, of course).

Before ascending to the throne of Skyrim, Herold had been a great warrior. Sixty years after the Oblivion Crisis, when Herold was only eighteen, a powerful Lich by the name of Tracus Inzur appeared in Winter Hold. This Lich stormed the city with an army of the dead, and the defense of the city was being overrun. Herold, the Crown Prince at the time, had donned a suit of armor, grabbed a rusty silver Longsword, and charged into the enemy ranks. He had fought his way through countless legions of the dead, and had encountered Tracus Inzur himself. Herold was not able to destroy Tracus Inzur. However, he had battled with the Lich and forced him to retreat. With Tracus Inzur defeated, the backbone of his army had been broken, and the city's defense was successful (the next day, a legion from Cyrodiil arrived with nearly ten thousand men-more than enough to break the siege). Tracus Inzur had not appeared since.

Now, Herold was older. He could still fight, of course, but was not as powerful as he once was. How he yearned for the days where he could…

Winterhold was the most beautiful city in all of Skyrim. Covered by winter all year long, it always appeared as a snowy paradise. With its quaint wooden houses and old, but well kept, streets, it was the most peaceful major city in the north. All crimes, with the exception of petty theft, were rare, and the city had a low murder rate, one of the lowest in the former Empire.

As with the rest of Winterhold, it's castle was very old-fashioned. It was old and classic in its design, and was likely the oldest castle on mainland Tamriel. Castle Winterhold, while old and classic, was also one of the small castles on Tamriel, even if it was the second largest in Skyrim.

A wall of stone surrounded the city, and, unlike the rest of it, was very modern, large, and Imperial. Herold had **never** liked it, as it took away from the traditional beauty of Winterhold. If it did not provide such protection, Herold would see the wall torn down and destroyed.

However, what Herold had liked most about Winterhold was that such beauty had survived countess invasions. When Queen Potema of Solitude and her son, the self-proclaimed Emperor Uriel III had initiated a coup against Empress Kintyra, Winterhold never submitted to Potema's armies, and had survived the twenty year siege, remaining loyal to Kintyra and her descendants. When the Camoran Usurper invaded Tamriel, the army of Winterhold was not only able to defend itself, but had weakened the Usurper's forces to the point of retreating to Hammerfell, which proved to be a major aspect of the Usurper's downfall.

Herold now moved triumphantly through the streets of Winterhold. The people cheered and shouted in his favor, but were much quieter than those in Riften and Windhelm. Herold had expected this. It was the quiet nature of Winterhold that Herold had found appealing. It was that the people were not brutes, and even with news such as this, it would only minimally affect their days.

Herold, although enjoying this, knew that their lives would change. This was a major war, and he had enemies on all sides. He knew it was inevitable for the city to fall under siege eventually. Herold could only hope that the city's history of never falling could prevail.

Herold had arrived at Castle Winterhold, escorted by his three-dozen guards. As he walked onto the steps of Castle Winterhold, he was greeted by his steward, Vilfred of the Rock.

Vilfred was an elderly Nord, and an able councilor. Vilfred was bald, had fading eyesight, and a terrible back. He still efficiently carried out his job as steward, and kept order during Herold's absence.

"Your Majesty," Vilfred said. "It has been too long. Much has happened while you were gone. We are not the only ones to have heard of your crowning."

Herold smiled at the old man. "Vilfred, it is too cold for you to be out here at your age. Come inside, and than we shall talk business." Vilfred did as he was told, and Herold and his guard followed Vilfred inside to the Great Hall of Castle Winterhold.

Herold sat at his throne, while Vilfred had a guard bring him a seat. The Halls of Castle Winterhold were decorated with trophies of war. Golden handled swords with glass blades, Daedric blades and armor, and, most important of all, the Crown of Winter.

The Crown of Winter was an ancient relic, dating back to the time where man had inhabited Atmora. It was said to posses enormous power, in which winter itself would bow to he (or she) who wore it. Sadly, after the migration to Tamriel, when the Aldmer had enslaved the population, they had removed the crown from Nordic possession. The Nords forgot how to use the crown, and it became useless.

"Your Majesty, we received messengers from Dawnstar and Whiterun, and they have supported your claim." Vilfred said. Herold was pleased at this news, as it meant they were closer to victory. "Messengers from Markarth Side and Falkrenth should be arriving soon."

Herold was happy with this information. "Good, good. On my way here, I won the supported of Riften and Windhelm. That only leaves-"

Vilfred interjected. "Solitude. Yes, it is true. Solitude is presently holding back her support. Queen Charlotte and King Rikard have not sent a messenger, according to my spies in their court. They are waiting to see how events unfold, waiting to see if supporting the rival of Solitude would prove to be beneficial."

Herold nodded. "I see. Why is it that they wait? I understand that Solitude and Winterhold are rivals, but still. Supporting a Nord as Emperor could only benefit them."

Vilfred gave Herold a look of disagreement. "That is not true your majesty. There are two reasons for why they do not support you. The first is that every province has its upstart nobles. High Rock has Elysana, Summerset Isle has Karoodil and Morgiah, Valenwood has Maglir, and we have Charlotte and Rikard. The second is that Rikard is an Imperial. Both of them have sympathies towards the Empire."

Herold had known of the Imperial sympathies of Charlotte and Rikard. But how could a Nordic city, in the far north, at that, accept such a choice. The Frozen Shore, if anything, was overly patriotic towards Skyrim. "That doesn't make sense. Even if they have Imperial sympathies, their people-"

"Their people are mixed in race. Solitude is one of the most prosperous ports in all of Tamriel, and is therefore one of the most diverse cities. They have a large population of Imperials and Bretons. If they were to immediately take a side, there would be rebellion." Vilfred said.

Herold knew that Vilfred was right. But without the support of Solitude, how could he expect to win. Although Winterhold was the capital of Skyrim, Solitude was it's largest city. "Vilfred, how are we supposed to win a war without Solitude?"

Vilfred was speechless. He opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Vilfred knew that Solitude was key to victory in Skyrim. Even if Winterhold could resist another siege, even if Skyrim could repel an invasion, they could not win the war without the support of Solitude.

It was than something very strange had happened. A beggar, old and poor, had entered the Great Hall. His entrance drew the attention of both Herold and Vilfred. Vilfred, as the steward, knew it was his job to keep the public out during a private meeting. "Excuse me sir, but I'm afraid that His Majesty cannot-"

The beggar ignored Vilfred, and walked up to Herold. As if her were in a trance, he said in a course and deep, "He who wishes to be Skyrim's Emperor can only succeed through Winter's Crown. He who wishes to be Tamriel's Emperor can only succeed through Winter's Crown. He who wishes to be Winter's Emperor can only succeed through Winter's Crown. Take Winter's Crown from its rest, wake Winter's Crown from its rest. Through the renewed Winter's Crown can one be Emperor."

Herold and Vilfred stared at the beggar, still in his trance. Vilfred turned his attention and said, "Your Majesty, this is ludicrous."

Herold quickly said, "Quiet Vilfred! He has more to say. Tell me, beggar, how can I wake Winter's Crown?"

The beggar spoke again. "Winter's Crown, the fruit of the north, the power of the north, the strength of the north, the will of the north shall awaken with great sorcery. Only through Winter's Will can Winter's Crown awaken, only through Winter's Will can he who wishes to be Emperor be crowned, and only through Winter's Will can the Emperor win."

Vilfred tries to get the attention of Herold. "Your Majesty, this is-"

Herold turned red and said, "Quiet fool! What is Winter's Will? Where is Winter's Will?"

The beggar, for the third and final time spoke. "The Will of Winter is in Bruma, where it's wearer now stays. It is light and it is darkness, it is wealth and poverty, it is rare and common, and it is diamond and coal. It is a shard of ice that has frozen to appear as a diamond. Only with the Will of Winter can the Crown of Winter awaken. The Will of Winter now lays upon the neck of Countess Narina Carvain of Bruma. Remove it from her neck, and you shall be the Emperor of Winter!" As the Beggar said this, he dropped down and died.

Vilfred was silent. Who was that beggar, and why had he foretold of the Crown of Winter, which had lain dormant in this hall for centuries. What kind of ridiculous notion was it to be able to reactivate the crown? "Your Majesty, I'd like to say that-"

Herold ignored Vilfred completely. Vilfred had never seen this look in the eyes of Herold, a look that showed ruthless and coldhearted determination, without pity or remorse. Herold opened his mouth and said, "Summon all of the armies of Skyrim to Whiterun. We shall march to Bruma."

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Well, that's the end of this epic installment of the Crown Game. Please read and review. I know I have probably taken some liberties with the peerage of Skyrim, by the way. Anyway, with the addition of Herold, cast your vote for both choice for Emperor and choice for favorite character. While it won't affect the plot too much, I just want to know. Also, is anyone willing to take a guess where the next chapter will be?


	6. 5: A Dangerous Alliance

Chapter 5: A Dangerous Alliance

Queen Elysana of Wayrest stepped out of her carriage. It had been a short ride, but she wished it could have been shorter. This was most urgent business she was attending.

Elysana was greeted by two Orcish Guards as she entered the gates of Orsinium. Elysana remembered the Daggerfall affair, when she had been able to secure Orsinium as an ally after the death of her father. It was proving to have been a very successful move, as Wayrest was becoming more powerful than Daggerfall due to this alliance.

Elysana looked at the city. She hadn't been here in almost years now, yet she still remembered every detail. She had remembered how the city, though quite large, was also underdeveloped compared to some of the finer cities of Tamriel, such as the Imperial City.

Orsinium housed one of the largest single city populations in Tamriel. Over fifty thousand of the Orcs lived in the city. The population was higher than that of other major cities of the Iliac Bay, such as Daggerfall, Sentinel, and Wayrest. Sadly, the city also had the reputation of having the most poverty in the Empire. Very few of the citizens of the city could afford little more than one room shacks, and even fewer could afford a middleclass house. Only a dozen families in the city were wealthy.

Elysana remembered why she had insisted that Gro-Mak-Han should come to Wayrest: his city was little more than a dump. Elysana had grown accustomed to a life of wealth and glamour, and did not enjoy being in Orsinium.

Elysana, as she was being escorted by her guards through the city, could not help but to feel sorry for those who lived there. She knew most of them worked elsewhere, in Wayrest, or occasionally Vermeir, and that they hated their jobs as mere laborers and servants. She also knew that they thought coming home was _even_ worse, and that many of them remembered when the city was much more than a dump.

However poor the majority of Orsinium may have been, it was neither violent nor uncivilized. While some of the people may have seemed desperate to escape their lives of servitude, they were not barbarians, as many people of Tamriel believed.

Elysana had now reached the very small wealthy district. In this district, the twelve families of wealth lived in their manors. Unlike the rest of Orsinium, the manors of the city were elaborate, beautiful, and very, very large. The largest of them, the Castle of Gro-Mak-Han, had seventy-five rooms on three stories.

Elysana thought back to the last time she had been in Orsinium. It had been ten years before, shortly after Mathilda became the High Queen of High Rock and Queen of Daggerfall. And she had come to Orsinium for the funeral of Gortwog gro-Nagorm.

Ten years ago, Gortwog gro-Nagorm, the honorable and idealistic visionary who had brought Orsinium into a golden age, one of the most politically gifted individuals of the Iliac Bay (and there was a lot of competition), and a powerfully ally of Wayrest, had suddenly died.

There had been no clues on how he died. During his dinner, he drank a glass of Cyrodillic Brandy, and dropped dead. The court had gone into a panic, and the city went into chaos. A fire that was started during the confusing killed over five hundred Orcs.

Elysana had had her suspicions on who the murderer was. In fact, she was almost positive that it had been a political maneuver by none other than Mathilda herself. Mathilda was the Queen of Daggerfall (at the time), the age-old enemy of Wayrest. Orsinium was a powerful ally of Wayrest, and it could only benefit Mathilda to dispose of its leader.

Mathilda had become the greatest threat to Elysana's power since Helseth and Barenziah. She was powerful, manipulative, a very adept sorceress, and was about one hundred and ten years younger than Elysana, who was nearing her hundred and forty-sixth birthday. She hated Mathilda even more than she hated the rest of the Daggerfall Royal Family. She hated Mathilda even more than she hated the Royal Family of Sentinel. She hated Mathilda even more than she hated Helseth and Barenziah. Elysana knew she would do anything to prevent Mathilda from becoming Empress.

Elysana entered to the Orcish Royal Castle. It was truly different from the rest of the city. It was better. It was nearly as beautiful as the Castle of Wayrest was. The halls were decorated with artifacts of Orcish Pride. There were many statues of Trinimac, dozens of portraits of famous Orcish Heroes, and hundreds of other marvelous works of art.

Elysana was greeted by Sharag gro-Ghash, the steward of Castle Orsinium, and one of the most trusted advisors of Emperor Gro-Mak-Han. A tall and amiable, if not slightly bland, Orc, Elysana had known Sharag gro-Ghash since her succession to the throne of Wayrest, and knew that the faith that Gro-Mak-Han placed in him was well deserved.

"Your Highness, you look ravishing," said the steward as Elysana entered. Elysana had realized it was a false compliment, as Elysana hadn't truly looked ravishing for over a century, but she smiled at the steward, and gave an appropriate and courteous 'thank you.'

"Sharag, how is his Majesty doing? I expect he has returned from the Imperial City already." Elysana was being very blunt. She had always given Sharag this attitude, and she regarded him only a little more than she regarded a lowly assistant.

"He has returned, your Highness, and has been expecting you. He is presently in the Throne room." Elysana and her two guards entered the Throne Room, where they saw Gro-Mak-Han sitting upon the Throne.

Elysana curtsied towards Gro-Mak-Han as she walked up to him, and her guards bowed to their Emperor. As she stood, she began to say, "Your Majesty-"

Gro-Mak-Han interrupted her, saying, "Elysana, there's no need for such formality. Especially in private. We've known each other for over a hundred years."

Elysana's eyebrows rose at this remark. Elysana had known Gro-Mak-Han for that long, but the idea of ignoring the traditions regarding the proper address of the Imperial Monarch was an outrage. These traditions had existed since the time of Tiber Septim. Elysana couldn't have cared less about Tiber Septim, but they were trying to "restore" the Empire. If people were to notice such a cultural change…

Elysana calmed herself down before her paranoia was able to get the best of her. She realized that there would be cultural changes when Gro-Mak-Han took the Throne, the least of which would be a style of address. The people of Tamriel would be more concerned with adjusting to an Orc for an Emperor. Still, it would be best to keep the little things, so the people would eventually view Orcish Emperors as normal.

"I understand, Gro-Mak-Han. However, for you to succeed in this war, you must be able to earn the support of Tamriel. As you know, they are mistrusting of Orcs, and they will not want to see you as Emperor. If you keep the little things, like a style of address, the same, people may eventually come to terms with your Orcish heritage." Elysana said.

Gro-Mak-Han stood still, and said, "So I take it you've heard that I've declared myself Emperor."

Elysana smiled. "Of course I have. I've also heard that Mathilda, Eldaris, Herold, and Aleria have made claims, and that there's going to be an apocalyptic war. And I would like to be the first to officially say that the mighty Kingdom of Wayrest will gladly support Orsinium in its claim."

"I see you still get straight to the point Elysana." Gro-Mak-Han said. "And I'm glad you've decided to support us. We're receiving very little sympathy from some…less friendly neighboring kingdoms, like Camlorn and Daggerfall."

Elysana nodded, understanding the hostility from the other kingdoms. Elysana hated Mathilda, but she gave the girl credit for having charisma and political savvy. Mathilda had been able to turn all of High Rock against her. "Indeed, indeed. However, where does Morrowind stand? And Black Marsh, and Elsweyr, and Hammerfell. I've not heard that yet."

Gro-Mak-Han looked at Elysana, and said, "I don't know. I don't know what either Black Marsh or Elsweyr will do. They've never been treated particularly kindly by the Empire. But Hammerfell will likely have sympathies for the Empire and remain loyal. But I have no clue what you step-brother is plotting."

"Helseth isn't a fool. He's going to support the place with the biggest army, and he's going to be the one who provides their claimant. I know his style. Remember, I beat him and his scheming mother out of Wayrest." Elysana said.

Gro-Mak-Han stared at Elysana for a moment, and said, "So where does that leave us militarily?"

Elysana took a deep breath. This is why she hated Mathilda. Mathilda had kill Gortwog, the greatest leader Orsinium had ever had. Now, she had to deal with Gro-Mak-Han, who was not nearly as great as the idealistic _and_ practical Gortwog. Elysana did think Gro-Mak-Han was the second best choice, but he was not Gortwog.

"In all honesty, we are in a very poor position. Mathilda will not hesitate in seeing Orsinium burnt to the ground, something we can't allow." Elysana said. "I believe I should send a majority of my forces here. My children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as well. We shall fortify the city for an upcoming invasion, and we shall defeat Mathilda's armies in battle here, on our turf and terms."

Gro-Mak-Han said, "Sounds like a plan. However, since we're speaking of your heirs, and I know we've gone over this before, I believe a marriage between one of your heirs and one of mine would be an excellent political maneuver. How about my first grandson, Durgub gro-Argumu, with your first great-granddaughter, Elisa?"

Elysana sighed. They had been over this three times in the past year alone. Such a union, as Elysana had stated before, would be grotesque. The children would be disgusting abominations, and Elisa was such a petit girl, even at the age of fifteen.

However, Gro-Mak-Han was the Emperor. If Elisa married Durgub, she would be Empress one day, and their eldest child would be the next Imperial Monarch. Nevertheless, their eldest child would also be a disgusting monster, as would the rest of them.

"Gro-Mak-Han, as I've said before, such a union would be an abomination. Elisa is much to 'human' beautiful to create a child that would be attractive by Orcish standards." Elysana said, all of it truth. Elisa was the best looking of her descendants, and any of their offspring would be ugly by both Breton and Orc standards.

Gro-Mak-Han didn't seem satisfied. "Elysana, you over concern yourself with beauty. Every girl in Orsinium would kill to marry Durgub."

Elysana sighed once more. "That's Orsinium. Very few girls in Wayrest would want to marry Durgub. Most would consider it bestiality, even if Orcs are Mer in heritage."

Gro-Mak-Han began to grow angry. "Elysana, they _will_ be married, regardless of what the people of Wayrest think. I'm the Emperor."

Elysana could only reluctantly answer, "Yes, your Majesty. I shall inform Elisa of the proposal when she arrives. If you don't mind, I think a need to rest."

Gro-Mak-Han nodded, and said, "Guards, escort Elysana and her guards to their respective chambers. They're on the third floor, in the Lords quarters." Two heavily armored Orc guards entered the Throne Room, and began to take the three Bretons away.

As Elysana was escorted to her chambers, she knew that this alliance was dangerous. Not only to her enemies, but to herself.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

And that's the end of that. Not my favorite chapter, but one that needed to be done. If it seemed a little redundant of the Daggerfall chapter, I'm not surprised. So, with the addition of Gro-Mak-Han, who's the top choice for Emperor? The benevolent and inexperienced Iszel Septim? The militant and arrogant Farwyn Willows, and his crazy mother? The manipulative and political Mathilda Aureon? The well meaning but not-so-bright Herold? Or Gro-Mak-Han?


	7. 6: The God Emperor

Chapter 6: The God-Emperor

Archanon Tholer Saryoni of the Vvardenfell branch of the Tribunal Temple of Morrowind had been summoned to Mournhold for the first time since the High Archanon discovered the death of Almalexia. At this point, a small group of high-ranking Temple Officials knew of what had happened between Almalexia and Sotha Sil, but continued to cover-up the information.

After the incident between Almalexia and Sotha Sil, Vivec had disappeared, something known only to the three Archanons: Tholer Saryoni of Vivec, Llathala Alor of Sotha Sil, and High Archanon Fedris Hler, the successor of Gavis Drin as High Archanon of Almalexia and Patriarch of Mournhold, and the larger city of Almalexia. The disappearance of Vivec was hidden even more than the death of the other two Tribunals. Vivec was the last of the Tribunals. If Vivec had died, the Temple's power would wane even more.

The Nereveraine, who would, according to prophecy, cast out the Empire, had only damaged the Tribunal Temple. He killed Almalexia, and he had been a suspect in the disappearance of Vivec. When the Nerevaraine himself disappeared, things became even more complicated. The Nerevaraine, who had been able to rally the people against Dagoth Ur, had become an enemy to the Temple's Authority, and thus, an enemy to the Temple.

Saryoni had nothing against the Nerevaraine. Saryoni was considerably more moderate when compared to his fellow Archanons. He was understanding, even sympathetic to the killing of Almalexia, as she truly had gone insane. Llathala was also somewhat understanding in this situation, but was very traditionalist in her beliefs, and would not condone the death of one of the Tribunals, even if that Tribunal had killed one of the others.

But Fedris was outraged to no end. He felt no understanding towards the Nereveraine, and, as soon as he heard of Almalexia's death, became convinced that the Nereveraine must die. There was no convincing Fedris Hler otherwise.

When Fedris had secretly put up a bounty for the head of the Nereveraine, Saryoni had objected. The Nereveraine was a hero in the eyes of the people, and a bounty on his head would turn the people against them. But Fedris did not listen, nor did Llathala. The bounty remained, and the Nerevaraine had fled, supposedly to Akavir.

After the Nerevaraine fled, Vivec could not be found. The few Temple Officials who knew what happened had all had their own theories. Some said that Vivec had killed himself, while others said the Nerevaraine had killed him. One had even suspected that Vivec went to the ruins of Red Mountain to salvage the Heart of Lorkhan.

Saryoni personally believed that Vivec was still alive. He did not know where, but Saryoni had intuitively sensed that Vivec lived, and was still in Morrowind. Somewhere.

Now Saryoni was in Mournhold's Temple District, waiting to meet with the High Archanon. Fedris had said that he had some "important news concerning the Tribunal Temple and all of Morrowind." Saryoni suspected it was a scheme to remove the Empire from Morrowind, now that it had entered civil war.

Saryoni had a very unusual opinion of the Empire, compared to the rest of the Tribunal Temple. Saryoni had actually believed the Empire had helped Morrowind, and was best for the people. Trade had increased during the Empire's rule, and there had been more civil order. Most of the ancient traditions of the Temple had remained, and the Great Houses had retained their power, even if House Hlaalu had been able to become the most powerful of the great houses, unlike the traditional Indoril King Morrowind had had.

And the current Hlaalu King Helseth had been able to remove the despicable practice of slavery in Morrowind, by forming an alliance with House Dres, the most slave-pro house through the marriage of King Helseth to the Dres noblewoman Vendama, who was now Queen Dinara, and was still in the city of Mournhold.

Helseth was undoubtedly a controversial figure in Morrowind. House Hlaalu and House Dres praised him for his strength, competence, and _benevolence._ House Indoril and House Redoran criticized him for his plotting and untrustworthiness. House Telvanni didn't seem to care, and kept their opinion of the King of Morrowind to themselves.

The Temple was opposed to most royalty and nobility of Morrowind, as they were usually Hlaalu, or at least somewhat sympathetic towards the Empire. After the death of High Archanon Gavis Drin, the Temple had become very, very hostile towards House Hlaalu and House Dres, especially King Helseth, Queen Dinara, and Queen Mother Barenziah.

Saryoni, once again, disagreed with the Temple on this issue. Helseth, while definitely plotting, was not untrustworthy, as he had been able to bring Morrowind into a very prosperous time during a not-so-prosperous era. He was a strong leader, he was a competent leader, and (although Saryoni doubted he would admit it) he was a benevolent leader.

It did not surprise Saryoni that it was when Helseth was gone that Fedris had summoned him to Mournhold. While it was held in the more than capable hands of the _unofficial_ Queen Morgiah of the Altmer Kingdom of Firsthold, King Helseth's younger sister, she was unfamiliar with the politics of Morrowind, as she had not been in Morrowind for many years.

Saryoni entered the "Temple of Almalexia", walking through it's halls for the first time in many years. The Temple guards, the silver-clad Indoril High Ordinators, escorted him through the pristine and remarkable building, to the office of the High Archanon.

Fedris Hler was a typical looking Dunmer, not taller, shorter, thinner, nor fatter than most. He wore the traditional red robes of the High Archanon (which, incidentally, were not that traditional, and were only made seventy-five years ago), in contrast to Saryoni, who wore the traditional blue robes of the Archanon of Vivec (once more, these robes were not that traditional).

Also in the High Archanon's Office were Archanon Llathala Alor (wearing her non-traditional traditional purple robes) and the five surviving hands of Almalexia. The Hands, upon learning of Almalexia's death, became guards for the High Archanon. They were higher ranked then most temple authorities, and still wore their enchanted armor, gifted to them by Almalexia herself.

Fedris Hler, sitting at his desk, said, "And the last of us has arrived. Greetings, Tholer."

Saryoni nodded, and responded, "High Archanon, Llathala. It has been a long time since we last met like this."

Fedris simply answered, "Indeed."

Llathala, who was standing in the far corner of the room, said, "High Archanon, I believe it is time to tell us what you summoned us here for. With the civil war, I cannot help but to feel that my place is in Sotha Sil, not here."

Saryoni had agreed. "Llathala is right, High Archanon. Why is it you have called us here?"

Fedris smiled sinisterly, and said, "It is because of the Civil War. We have to make sure our position is a good one."

Saryoni and Llathala were both confused. Saryoni said, "What position? Morrowind had given its support to the Empire, by decree of King Helseth and Queen Mother Barenziah."

Fedris laughed at what Saryoni had said, confusing his fellow Archanons even more. "Helseth has given his support, the support of House Hlaalu and House Dres, to the Empire. We have not given our support, nor has Duchess Davilia Indoril, Duke Galvorn Redoran, nor Duke Aldnus Telvanni, the respective leaders of Houses Indoril, Redoran, and Telvanni."

"Are you suggesting that we start another branch of the war? This is a Temple, meant to spread peace and religion!" Saryoni said, outraged at such a notion.

"This Temple was meant to spread the will of the Tribunal, not peace. And the will of the Tribunal is war." Fedris said.

Saryoni was infuriated. "There is no Tribunal! Almalexia and Sotha Sil are dead, and Vivec has disappeared! You're authority is not the will of the Tribunal!"

Fedris laughed. "Saryoni, calm down. It is not my authority I am preaching." Saryoni and Llathala both grew worried. "I understand that the Tribunal is no more. However, there is one God-Vivec has been found, and is here in Mournhold."

Saryoni grew nervous, not sure whether Fedris was telling the truth or going crazy. "What are you talking about, High Archanon? When was Vivec found? Where was he found? And why weren't we informed sooner?" Saryoni asked.

Fedris Hler chose not to answer Saryoni's questions, and simply said, "Follow me." Both Archanons and the Hands of Almalexia followed the High Archanon into Almalexia's old chambers, where the Hands would once guard day and night, in protection of their holy mother.

Fedris Hler had been telling the truth. Vivec sat there, meditating as he would in his old temple. The group immediately began bowing and kneeling towards the last of their Man-Gods.

"Greetings. I am Vivec reborn, last of the Man-Gods." Vivec said, as the group looked at his glory. His skin no longer changed its color as it once did, it was a magnificent gold, as it had once been during the days of the Chimmer.

Saryoni had met with Vivec before, there had been no need for an introduction. Why had Vivec felt compelled to do so? "My Lord, it is I, your humble Archanon, Tholer Saryoni. I have been your servant for hundreds of years. Do you not recognize me?"

Vivec, remaining as calm as ever, answered, "Child, I do remember you, but I have been reborn, and am not the same Vivec you knew. I am different."

Saryoni, puzzled by this concept of rebirth, asked Vivec, "My lord, how is it you have been reborn? What is it that is different?"

Vivec smiled and said, "Child, I no longer rely upon the Heart of Lorkhan for my power. Now, my power comes from the energy of the people, their faith in me and in the Tribunal."

Saryoni was relieved that this was the change in his lord, said, "My lord, the High Archanon tells me disturbing things. He tells me you wish war, and that we are going to war with the rest of the Empire and even part of Morrowind. Are these things true?"

Vivec solemnly nodded, and said, "Child, you should not mistrust your High Archanon. I wish to conquer all of the Empire, so all shall worship the true God, and my power shall increase. I shall become Emperor of this world, and all shall bow in my glory. I am not as powerful as I once was, but when I am Emperor, I shall be more powerful. All shall worship me, everyday and every night, so that my power may increase evermore."

Saryoni grew unhappy. Another member of the Tribunal had gone crazy. "My Lord, you can't be serious. This is madness, such as Almalexia had planned madness. If you go through with these plans, my lord, you shall be killed."

"Child, do not be alarmed. We shall oust the Empire and their supporters from this land, and kill the treacherous King Helseth and his family. The united people of Morrowind shall show enough power and strength to march against the rest of Tamriel. We shall conquer and unite Tamriel. We shall march to Akavir, and conquer the new realm, and all shall be forced to worship me. We shall march through the very realm of Oblivion, and the Daedric Princes will kneel before their new God." Vivec said, remaining calm.

Saryoni continued to plea. "My lord, please. Both Almalexia and Dagoth Ur made these plans, and they were killed! My lord, if you go through with these goals, you too shall be killed."

Vivec frowned. "Child, your faith in me has been shaken. I am afraid I no longer need your services."

"My lord, please-" Saryoni began, before he felt himself pushed in the back, down to floor, crushing his face.

"Llathala, I told you he had lost faith in the Tribunal. We should have just killed him when he got here." Fedris said to his fellow Archanon, as Saryoni lay in pain on the ground.

Llathala nodded, and said, "You were right, I was wrong. Hands of Vivec, feel free to kill him anytime you wish. My lord, excuse us, we need to work out another assassination plan against Iszel Septim."

Vivec nodded, and said, "Go child. The usurper named Iszel must die. If you would bring her head to me here to mount upon the gates of the city, I would be most grateful. Do this for your God-Emperor."

Fedris and Llathala both nodded, and Fedris said, "Of course, my lord. The traitor's head shall be mount upon your walls, and her limbs shall be fed to the lowliest of creatures."

And as his fellow Archanons left the room to plot against the true Empress, the Hands of Vivec, formerly the Hands of Almalexia, stabbed Saryoni in the back, killing him instantly.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

So there's a new player in the mix. Now, there's only one more chapter before I continue with the plot itself, and seeing there's only one more claimant, I think you can figure out that the chapter will be in Summerset Isle. For now, Hammerfell, Elsweyr, and Argonia shall remain unvisited, as Hammerfell has declared support for the Empire and the latter two are presently neutral.

I think it's time for some polling questions that I'd enjoy to see answered in your reviews.

Who is the current best choice for Emperor or Empress? Who is the most likely victor? Who's your favorite character? Who's the worst choice for Emperor or Empress? Who's the least likely to win?And Considering that this is a war and people die, which Claimant is gonna bite the dust first?


	8. 7: When Summer Sets

Chapter 7: When Summer Sets

Emperor Eldaris of Summerset Isle, the Shadow Emperor, had entered his private council chambers. Eleven of the twelve had had invited to join were 'present' and had joined this council unconditionally, while the twelfth said he would join-for a price.

The Emperor's Council Chambers was shrouded in Shadows, as he liked it. As he was one who worshipped the Shadow God, the darkness had always been pleasing to him. It gave the presence of fear, and intimidated enemies.

Those on his council were all very powerful figures. Most of them were infamous throughout Tamriel, known for their power and sinister motives. This is why Eldaris had sought them for his council. He planned to bring an age of darkness over Tamriel, and darkness would only remain friends with darkness.

Darkness was an interesting word to Eldaris. It served as the personification for the mysterious, the sinister, and the evil. It had brought fear to the cowards of the PSJJJJ Order, and thus prevented them for ascending to power. There were only two factions on Tamriel that had come close to using the true darkness. The Necromancers and House Telvanni of Morrowind.

That was why both the King of Worms and Duke Aldnus Telvanni were present at the meeting. They had come because of offers of unstoppable power, not only on Tamriel, but all across Nirn. In Akavir, in Pyandonea, and even in Aldmeris itself.

Eldaris, unknown to even those on this council, was old enough to remember Aldmeris. It had been a utopian civilization, triumphing over even the greatest accomplishments of Summerset Isle. Aldmeris possessed such power, than when they wanted to banish Eldaris, they had been able to hide their continent from his forces, the forces of the Shadow.

Aldmeris had been the place of Eldaris's birth. Born to the Archsorcerer (the Aldmer leader) and his wife, Eldaris had been born into the top of a Magocracy, where the mages ruled, and the rest lived in happiness and prosperity. Eldaris was given more social opportunity by the time he was five than most would receive in their lives. However, instead of accepting these opportunities and studying "mainstream magic," such as Destruction, Conjuration, and Illusion, Eldaris turned his attention towards the Shadow Magic, hidden and practiced by few…

Eldaris returned his attention to his Council Chambers. The eleven others in attendance were all waiting for him to begin the meeting. "Welcome, members of the Council. Twelve of us are in attendance, while only the thirteenth remains absent. It is time for us to discuss our plans in conquering Tamriel, and placing your Emperor on the Throne over all."

Mannimarco stood, and he was the only one in Eldaris's sight. The Shadows covered the remainder of the council. "Your Imperial Majesty, I believe I have a way to cause terror throughout the Empire during your invasion."

Eldaris looked intrigue, but before he responded, he said, "Mannimarco, King of Worms, as King of the Necromancers, your input is always appreciated. However, we shall not be invading for a while. I have a mind to wait, wait until the thirteenth member of the council has joined us."

Mannimarco appeared shocked. "Your Imperial Majesty, if that is the case, than I shall hold my idea…for now." Mannimarco returned into the Shadows, leaving Eldaris's view.

Duke Aldnus Telvanni stepped out of the Shadows, into Eldaris's view. "Your Imperial Majesty, you expect us to wait to invade. My armies are in a rather difficult position, you see, with both Helseth and the Temple vying for my support. If we are to wait, it will be difficult to keep me as an ally."

Eldaris was annoyed by the insolence of the Duke, who, although several thousand years old, was nowhere near as old as Eldaris, and could not comprehend the power he possessed. However, Eldaris remained calm, and said, "Duke Telvanni, as my spy in Morrowind, your opinion is valued on my council. However, we will not be able to triumph without the aid of my allies from the east, so that we may crush Tamriel from both ends. Not only shall we be crushing Tamriel, we shall be crushing a Tamriel weakened by war and struggle."

Queen Nirya of the Altmer Queendom of Lillandril appeared out of the Shadows. "And just who is this ally of yours, your Imperial Majesty. I expect answers, as a valued member of this council."

Eldaris was silent, and than he said, "My allies shall introduce themselves to you once we have secured their allegiance. To do this, we shall sail a large army west, around Nirn, to my allies. We shall fulfill their condition in this alliance, and than we shall invade and conquer all of Tamriel!"

The Council seemed satisfied, and both Queen Nirya and Duke Telvanni returned into the Shadows. It was than King Sinderion of Shimmereene exited the Shadows, and asked a very important question to Eldaris. "What shall we do while we wait for your allies, your Imperial Majesty. Summerset Isle is not in the ideal political situation we would enjoy. Many of our young are becoming rebellious against our sophisticated culture, especially in Firsthold and Cloudrest. What do you intend to do about this, as the Kings of Firsthold and Cloudrest are the two Kings that denied a seat on your council."

Eldaris smiled, and gave a simple answer. "The Royal Families of Firsthold and Cloudrest are not going to be a threat much longer. Even as we speak, agents of the King of Worms are capturing and killing the Royal Households of these respective cities. Our intelligence confirms that only Queen Morgiah of Firsthold will be able to escape our agents."

Satisfied with the answer, King Sinderion returned into the Shadows. As Eldaris prepared to take his seat, Queen Nirya reentered sight, and Eldaris remained standing. "Your Imperial Majesty, while it is excellent that you shall be able to detain the Royal Households of Firsthold and Cloudrest, King Sinderion brings up another good point. Many of our young _are _rebelling against our ancestral practices. I do not think they will approve of your arrest of the Royal Families of Firsthold and Cloudrest, who are unusually popular with the young. Reman Karoodil of Firsthold is the most beloved monarch in the entire southern Empire!"

"Nirya, do not be alarmed. If we need to, we can simply revert to some more…traditional techniques." Eldaris said. Although Nirya was old enough to know some of the techniques the Altmer had used in previous years, she had never actually participated in any of them. Eldaris pleasantly remembered the days when they killed nine out of every ten children for genetic perfection, when they regularly destroyed cities in rebellion with levels of Magicka that had not been seen in centuries, when Altmer were truly the greatest race on Tamriel. Eldaris knew he would be the one to bring that age back. Except he would rule more than Tamriel, more than Akavir, more than Pyandonea. He would rule Aldmeris, and more.

However, Eldaris was slightly shocked at Nirya's reaction. "Your Imperial Majesty, are you referring to what I think you are?"

Eldaris smiled and nodded. "Of course that's what I refer to, Nirya. All of those in rebellion shall be killed. It's really not that complicated."

Nirya grew uneasy, but sat down and removed herself from Eldaris's view, remaining quiet. However, now King Sinderion reemerged, appearing concerned. "Your Imperial Majesty, I have but one more concern. As you know, over a century ago, my daughter, Princess Aste of Shimmereene, was murdered gruesomely by a radical group known as the Beautiful."

Eldaris looked at King Sinderion, and said, "Sinderion, I have heard of the Beautiful, as they have attempted to destroy both my Palace and Crystal Tower, something that I have not tolerated. The Beautiful are an outlaw group, one that does not like my reign. They will indubitably side with Cyrodiil in the upcoming war. That is why I have released in order that, should one bring one of these Beautiful to me, I shall pay them handsomely. I shall even offer the Kingdom of Cloudrest to the first person who brings two hundred of these vulgar atrocities to Altmer greatness and pride."

King Sinderion appeared grateful, at such _swift_ revenge for the murderers of his daughter. "Thank you, your Imperial Majesty. The people of Shimmereene shall not forget the one who avenged their princess." Sinderion returned to the Shadows.

Eldaris was preparing to call this meeting to an end, when Mannimarco exited the Shadows once more. "Your Imperial Majesty, I too have one more concern, one much more…difficult than any claimant or radical. I am, of course, referring to the Psijic Order. In the past century, their numbers have grown exponentially. Their numbers, once less than a hundred, now contain over a thousand."

Eldaris knew Mannimarco was right, and the Psijic Order was a threat. A very big threat, at that. However, the Psijic Order had remained neutral in all recent conflicts, something that Eldaris was thankful for. "Mannimarco, the Psijic Order is a threat here within the Summerset Isles. However, the Psijic has been alienated from the Empire, as many of it's most recent rulers have become suspicious of their counsel. When you get a chance, meet me here in Summerset Isle, and we'll discuss what to do. Council is dismissed."

As Eldaris uttered those last words and sat down, the Shadows of the room vanished, and so did his councilors. In their various locations, Eldaris had the ability to communicate with them through his Shadow Magic.

Now, a being had entered his council chambers. A dark, shadowy beast, the creature was made of pure darkness, and had no definite appearance. "My pet," Eldaris said. "You have returned. I take it you were able to slaughter the Elder Council. Were you able to kill Iszel?"

The creature groaned, making a hideous sound, so vile and foul, that, if it had not been Eldaris who had heard, the sound surely would have maddened the sanest of minds. "That is a shame. I had so hoped you would have been able to kill her. I have a new job for you, however. At this point, a good of nobles and royals from Firsthold and Cloudrest have escaped. Most of them were captured with the initial seizure of the cities, but a few of them have escaped. Hunt them down, and bring their heads to me. I have an idea of what we can do with them. Of particular note, by the way, I want Prince Sanyon and Princess Elenwen of Firsthold. The prince may prove to be difficult, but I'm sure you can find him. If not, Elenwen will do. Go now, and fulfill your duties."

The creature, which had grown wings, took flight from the room, bringing darkness and fear wherever it went. Eldaris knew that his victory in this war, and all subsequent wars, would be easy, and that all of his opposition-Farwyn Willows and his lunatic 'mother'; Gro-Mak-Han and the New Wolf Queen Elysana; Herold of Skyrim, whose doom was eminent; the 'Man-God' Vivec and his little Temple; Mathilda Aureon and her overrated machinations; Iszel Septim, and a dead Empire-he knew that all of them would suffer and die before his eternal reign.

And he knew that Aldmeris would follow them to the grave.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

I think it was the shortest chapter so far, but it also sets the stage for Eldaris's eventual involvement. Treasure the chapters he's in, for they will be rare-very, very, rare. Oh, if you read this chapter carefully, you'll of caught on to some very major upcoming plot twists (I may or may not be using the term upcoming very loosely).

But now, with the latest and final competition (this is where officially polling), who is the best candidate for Emperor or Empress? Who's most likely to win? Who's your favorite character? Who's the worst choice for Emperor or Empress? And which claimant is offed first?


	9. 8: Iszel's Coronation

Author's Note: I just realized that in chapter one, I said Iszel had both red and silver hair. Iszel has red hair, with a silver tinge to it, kind of like a metallic red. Now, without further ado, Chapter 8.

Chapter 8: Iszel's Coronation

After Iszel, Helseth, Barenziah, and the surviving escort had discovered the murdered Elder Council, Iszel had naturally been swiftly removed from the Imperial Palace at once, and returned to the Talos Plaza District. Helseth, Barenziah, Kayle and the few surviving government officials had also been taken from the Palace into Helseth and Barenziah's Manor there.

Due to the slaughter of the Elder Council, most of the remaining government officials were officers in the Imperial Legion. The only survivors (who had been identified) of the slaughter itself were two members of the Elder Council who were not present during the slaughter-Deputy Chancellor Celia Camoran and Imperial Battlemage Evangeline Beanique. Celia and Evangeline had only survived the slaughter because they were not in the Elder Council Chambers when the slaughter began.

It had been three hours since the discovery of the bodies, and Iszel remained furious at both Helseth and Barenziah for attempting to hide the assassination attempt from her. She had not spoken to either of them, or anyone, since. Neither Helseth nor Barenziah had protested.

Barenziah had become wary of the upper command of the Imperial Legion, for at least one of them had collaborated with Helseth in their attempt for unveiling the assassins. It was possible that they had intended the assassination to succeed. Such an event could have crushed any hope Cyrodiil had in the war. Barenziah did not like being in the same room as them.

The Supreme Commander of the Imperial Legion, Lord High General Octavian Gratus, was whom Barenziah most mistrusted. Ever since his appointment to the office, Barenziah had heard nothing but scandalous rumors about him. The Lord High General was a fanatic, and during the chaos of choosing a new Emperor, a rumor slipped that Octavian intended to murder the Altmer delegation, the only one that had opposed Ocato's ascension to Emperor. Needless to say, he never went through with his plans. However, Barenziah could tell he was aiming for something.

Barenziah also did not trust Commander Falco Sedeus, the Commander of the Imperial Escort. Seeing the situation unfold as it did, it was likely he knew something about Helseth's plans. Barenziah doubted he was plotting treason, but due to his position, suspected that he was not as loyal as possible.

Barenziah, like Iszel, was also mad at Helseth. How her son could be so stupid, and still remain the most powerful ruler in the east, amazed her. The fact that he would allow an assassination attempt on his own Empress…

Just as Barenziah thought this, a foot soldier in the Imperial Legion stormed into the manor. "The assassin has finally spoken." he said to the Lord High General. "He has told us that Fedris Hler did commission the order to assassinate her Imperial Majesty, and that there is a very big secret within the Tribunal Temple."

The Lord High General simply asked, "What is it?"

The soldier responded, "He claims he doesn't know. However, he also said that Fedris Hler had met with the Morag Tong outside Mournhold, rather than in the Temple of Almalexia, where Fedris Hler had traditionally met with the Morag Tong. He also said that the Temple has been closed off to all but the highest Temple authorities."

Octavian said, "Thank you, soldier. You are dismissed." The soldier quickly scurried out of the room. "Your Majesty," said Octavian to Helseth, "as King of Morrowind, would you mind enlightening us on why your own people are trying to kill the Empress." Octavian gave signs of rage in his voice, as if he mistrusted Helseth.

Helseth quickly responded, "The Temple has never liked Imperial rule, nor my rule, nor any Hlaalu rule. They are likely trying to gain independence, or at least put an Indoril noble on the Morrowind Throne. Under my rule, the Temple has had a great decrease of power. With the deaths of Sotha Sil and Almalexia, and the disappearance of the Nerevaraine and Vivec, people are beginning to doubt their power."

Octavian appeared confused. "The…deaths of Almalexia and Sotha Sil? I thought they were Gods."

Helseth looked at Octavian as if he were an idiot. "Of course they were Gods. They were Man-Gods. They're killable, just like everything else on this world. I don't suppose an outlander like yourself would know that." Helseth said. "But that's not important. They will stop at nothing to kill her Imperial Majesty, my mother, sister, wife, and myself. Since Dinara and Morgiah are in Mournhold, they're in eminent danger."

Octavian appeared disinterested in the fates of Queen Dinara and Morgiah. Barenziah was waiting for the Lord High General to say something about sending a legion to Mournhold, but he never did. Barenziah than turned her attention towards Iszel, and said, "Your Imperial Majesty, might I request that you send a legion of troops to the city of Mournhold. It is a very important city to the Empire, and to me, and losing it to the Temple could be catastrophic."

Iszel simply ignored Barenziah, staring away from her.

Barenziah decided to try again. "Your Imperial Majesty, I am sorry for my treasonous actions before, but if you do not send a legion to Mournhold, it would be lost, and my daughter and daughter-in-law could be killed, as well as other members of the Royal Household." Iszel remained unresponsive. "Kayle, your Majesty, Lord High General, Imperial Battle Mage, Deputy Chancellor, other officers of the Imperial Legion, may I ask that you leave us for a moment. There is another waiting chamber upstairs, I'm sure it is just as comfortable as this one." The Lord High General gave her a reluctant look, but followed the others upstairs.

Barenziah began to plea towards Iszel. "Please, your Imperial Majesty, if not for my sake, if not for my daughter's sake, at least for your sake. Losing Mournhold would prove to be a disaster. Losing the war without even being crowned would certainly alienate Elsweyr and Black Marsh, allies you need to win."

Helseth looked guilty. Because of his actions, his inexperienced Empress would let his sister and wife die. He felt like such an idiot-emotion was a distant thing for Helseth (admitting he was wrong was even more distant). "Your Imperial Majesty," Helseth said, kneeling towards the young Empress. Helseth felt unusual kneeling. He found it strange, as he had never had to kneel towards Uriel VII. "For the sake of my mother, please send a legion to Mournhold." Iszel turned towards Helseth, showing surprise. In the short time she had known Helseth, she had quickly learned that he was very arrogant and smug. "Your Imperial Majesty, I wish for you to forgive us for our treasons. My mother did not tell you about the assassination attempt because she did not want you to worry, and I only did what I thought was necessary in protecting our-your claim to the Throne."

Iszel angrily turned towards Helseth and slapped him. "Do you think murdering eleven of my guards is necessary to protect OUR claim to the Throne? Do you think causing a riot in our capital is protecting OUR claim to the Throne? Do you really think endangering my life is protecting OUR claim to the Throne? Because last time I checked, we protect OUR claim to the Throne by keeping me alive. Leave my sight now, you sicken me." As Helseth and Barenziah got up, Iszel quietly added, "Lady Barenziah, I wish for you to stay." Barenziah did as she was instructed, as Helseth left the room.

Barenziah looked at the Empress and courteously said, "You've requested that I stay, your Imperial Majesty." Barenziah saw a tear in Iszel's eye, and asked, with the same level of courtesy, "What troubles you, your Imperial Majesty?"

Iszel's single tear multiplied, and she was quickly crying. "Everything! I don't know I'm doing here. I'm an illiterate farm girl, and everyone around me expects me to be Empress of Tamriel."

Barenziah started to say, "Your Imperial Majesty-" but was quickly interrupted by Iszel.

"Please don't call me that," she cried. "I'm not an Empress. I'm illegitimate and illiterate, and I don't know what anyone wants me to do."

Barenziah sat next to Iszel, and said, "You have a rather large vocabulary for one who is illiterate, child. I'm sure I can teach you. And at this point, it doesn't matter whether or not you legitimate. The Empire craves a true ruler, one who will not rule through cruelty or tyranny. Not only that, you're the closest thing to a legitimate heir. The Septims have shockingly few relatives for an Imperial Family. You and your mother are the closest thing to Septim Blood remaining, even though you were only Martin's sixth cousin once removed. Many of the branches of your family were wiped out during the War of the Red Diamond, the war with Andorak Septim, the war with the Camoran Usurper, and the Invasion of Akavir, leaving only very distant cousins, most of whom are dead or in hiding at this point."

Iszel was confused. "Lady Barenziah, I've never heard of any of those events, except the Invasion of Akavir."

Barenziah was not surprised, and realized she shouldn't have bombarded the girl with so much history, a history of which she would not have knowledge. "That is not important now. What is important is that you must continue the Empire."

Iszel remained resistant. "I'm not an Empress."

Barenziah, waiting to here Iszel's reasoning, simply replied, "Yes you are. With your mother surrendering her claim, you are next in line."

Iszel shook her head, and said, "No. You know how much I hated Helseth's plan, how much I wish he wouldn't have let those guards die, how much fear the riot caused. From a political standpoint, he was _right_. Because of his actions, he's been able to learn of a new enemy before that enemy could do too much damage, he's been able to figure out their next plan, and he's kept me alive. I couldn't stand that plan, but it was right." Iszel was in tears again.

Barenziah could not help but to feel sorry for the girl. She had been thrust into a world that was unfamiliar to her, had to watch her own ally plan an assassination against her for her own safety, and saw almost a dozen soldiers die to protect her, only to stumble upon the dead bodies of the Elder Council, slaughtered mercilessly by some unknown creature. "Helseth was wrong. He had no right to murder his citizens without your authority. Yes, it did bring positive results, but he was wrong." Barenziah said, truthfully.

"I'm still no Empress." Iszel said, becoming less sure of this belief herself.

Barenziah smiled, and said, "Child, not only do you possess the good judgment and common sense required of an Empress, but you possess ambition matched by few. When I first met you, and you told me of your life, your move to the Imperial City was based solely on your ambition of becoming wealthy. You can learn to read and write very quickly, you can learn history with time. Judgment, sense, and ambition are qualities that take many people years to learn."

Iszel looked at Barenziah, staring at her for over a minute, before finally realizing what she had been doing wrong. "Send a legion to Mournhold," she said. Barenziah gave a triumphant smile, knowing that she had convinced Iszel to become Empress Iszel Septim I, Empress of all Tamriel. "And send Helseth in here." Iszel finished.

"Right away, your Imperial Majesty." Barenziah said, returning to the proper style of address.

As Barenziah was about to leave the room, Iszel called to her. "Lady Barenziah. Please don't call my your Imperial Majesty."

Barenziah turned around and said, "You remind me of your mother." she gave a small smile. "In public, I will call you by your proper address. Between us, you are Iszel." She left the room to get Helseth.

Iszel smiled, thinking about how Barenziah had only hidden the information from her to protect her from fear. Barenziah had meant well, and truly had deserved forgiveness, at least in Iszel's eyes.

Helseth entered the room, accompanied by his mother. Iszel saw that Helseth still possessed a face filled with guilt and sorrow. Barenziah did not tell him anything. Whether that guilt and sorrow was real or not was still to be determined, but Iszel decided it would be fair to hear him out. The smile that had been on Iszel's face only a moment before vanished.

"King Helseth," Iszel began, "you are an asset in murder and treason. You allowed eleven guards to be murdered, so that you may extract a bit of information on the Tribunal Temple of Morrowind. Do you know the penalty for murder and treason?" Iszel, although illiterate, was not stupid, and had paid attention to what had happened after the assassination attempt.

Helseth solemnly nodded. "I do, your Imperial Majesty." Helseth said, still using the same submissive mannerisms as before.

"Helseth," Iszel said. "Your actions are not only a crime, but are disgusting. However, because you meant well, and were only working for the…good of the Empire, I shall offer you this pardon-you renounce you claim as King of Morrowind, and come to the Imperial City."

Barenziah did not dare argue with Iszel on the matter, as Iszel appeared prepared to take disciplinary action on Barenziah if needed. However, Barenziah did disagree with Iszel, as Helseth was the best King of Morrowind.

"I understand your terms and conditions, your Imperial Majesty." Helseth said. "I shall renounce my claim, and my family shall uproot to the Imperial City."

Iszel shook her head. "Helseth, did I say anything about your family? Your eldest child shall take become King, or Queen, of Morrowind. If I'm mistaken, and you have no children, your sister shall become Queen of Morrowind."

Helseth looked at Iszel with surprise. "You're…letting my family rule over Morrowind after my treachery?" Helseth did not understand why he was being so submissive to the seventeen year-old Empress who relied on him and his mother. "Ralas will be King…your Imperial Majesty, might I request that a legion…"

Barenziah interrupted her son. "It's already being sent."

Helseth looked relieved that his family might not be killed by the fanatics of the Temple. "Your Imperial Majesty, might I inquire what purpose I shall serve in the Imperial City?"

Iszel looked at Helseth as if he were an idiot. "You didn't figure it out? You're my new High Chancellor."

Helseth thought that they were rubbing off on her already. He also thought that she was rubbing off on him, making him kinder, more caring, and considerate. "Your Imperial Majesty," Helseth said. "I think it may be a good idea to officially crown you."

Barenziah nodded and said, "He's right, your Imperial Majesty. Shall I call in the other surviving members of the Elder Council?"

Iszel nodded. "Yes, send for them." Barenziah left the room, going up stairs to the waiting room. As she entered the room, she said, "Her Imperial Majesty is ready for her coronation." King Kayle, the Imperial Legion Officers, the Deputy Chancellor, and the Battlemage were all anxious for the ceremony that would set their course of action, and the course of action for the Empire for the entire fourth era.

The group returned to the main waiting room, where they saw Iszel and Helseth, standing by the front door, waiting to leave for the coronation. "Well," Iszel said. "What are you waiting for? An invitation from the Empress? We have a coronation to attend."

The Elder Council (or, more aptly, what remained of it) was shocked in this new confidence by Iszel. Lady Celia, the Deputy Chancellor, said, "Your Imperial Majesty, for a coronation, we have always had a High Chancellor to officially crown the Emperor or Empress."

Iszel turned towards Celia and politely said, "I know…well actually, I didn't, but I've appointed Helseth as my High Chancellor." Celia was obviously angered at this, and it appeared she had wished to be High Chancellor. However, she didn't make a spectacle of herself, and instead calmed down.

As Celia calmed herself, Captain Orius Lex charged into room. He quickly bowed towards Iszel, and said, "Your Imperial Majesty, we have discovered that many of the nobles of Cyrodiil were not slaughtered. Count Janus Hassildor and Countess Narina Carvain have been reported leaving the city at separate times last night. The bodies of Countess Miranda Umbranox and Count Valin Matinus were not discovered. Moreover, Count Marius Caro and his wife have resurfaced. They're awaiting you at the Temple of the One."

Iszel smiled at the Captain and said, "Captain, this is good news. I want a force searching City Isle for the Count and Countess, and I want messages sent to Count Hassildor and Countess Carvain, informing them of what took place."

The Captain nodded, and said, "Yes, your Imperial Majesty."

"And Captain." said Iszel. "I want a sizeable escort to the Temple of the One, not a dozen guards."

"Captain," Barenziah said. "I think the Empress means to say she wants her guards to be Blades, not regular guards." The Captain nodded, and left to give the Empresses orders.

* * *

Two Altmer walked down the streets of the Market District of the Imperial City. One of them was wearing blue robes, and holding a scroll. The other one was concealing a large object through illusion magic, as he wore dark brown robes. The second one was whispering, "Remember the plan. You shall meet up with our informant at the Temple, and she will provide you with the key to the Elder Scrolls Chamber. After you've murdered the Elder Council, you are to break into the Imperial Palace and capture the Elder Scrolls Chamber. His Imperial Majesty wants all of the Elder Scrolls you can get."

The first figure nodded, and said, "Yes, sir." He turned around, and began to run towards the Temple District.

Meanwhile, the second figure walked up to one of the patrolling Imperial Guards, and cast a powerful fire spell, killing the Imperial Guard and damaging the surrounding buildings. With dozens of witnesses, cries of "Someone's been murdered!" rang through the streets, and people began to riot. The second figure unconcealed his hidden object, to reveal a staff made of bones, the head piece being, literally a human head. He pointed the staff at the dead guard, and his corpse became reanimated.

The figure simply said, "Cause havoc, my pet. Cause destruction, turmoil, and kill all who oppose the Emperor."

* * *

Iszel, Helseth, Barenziah, and the surviving Elder Council members, as well as the Imperial Legion Officers, had arrived at the Temple of the One. There they saw, aside from Count and Countess Caro, many well known citizens of the Empire, including Alessia Armus, the executive owner of the East Empire Company, the largest trade syndicate east of the Imperial City; Baroness Amyra Viturex, a noble whose family's land (and much of its wealth) had long since been lost; Lady Ruma Nepia, a wealthy woman who owned Nepia Manor near Skingrad, whose father had been a hero during one of the many wars that broke out during the post Oblivion Crisis, earning him the title of Lord; Lord Curio Avellan, a retired General in the Imperial Legion; and, most notably, _the_ Marquise Cristina Axia, a noblewoman who had risen to power by purchasing large amounts of land across Tamriel, as well as many of Tamriel's other wealthy elite. After the death of Duchess Rodmilla Broles of Farrun in High Rock, she was the only noble to own land in every part of Tamriel, including Summerset Isle.

Iszel walked up to those important few citizens, and began greeting them individually. Barenziah was suspicious for some unexplained reason. Her intuition had guided well throughout the rest of her life, and now, she felt that Iszel was in eminent danger.

Iszel, surrounded by these nobles and gentry, was being escorted inside, when Lady Nepia, pushing herself closest to Iszel, said, "Your Imperial Majesty, I'm glad to finally meet you. I am Lady Ruma Nepia, and in the past few hours, I have heard so much of you. I would love it if you could come to Nepia Manor for a dinner party sometime."

Iszel courteously smiled, and said, "Thank you, Lady Nepia." Barenziah rolled her eyes at the nobles, knowing most of them were very fickle and trying to get their own agenda accomplished.

"Your Imperial Majesty, my family owns a courier system, one that runs all across Tamriel." Lady Nepia said. "We'd love to spread your word and agenda through our courier. However, it has been low on profits lately, and we can only do it for a small fee of fifty thousand Septims."

Before Iszel could answer Lady Nepia, Baroness Amyra Viturex pushed Lady Nepia out of her way, and said, "Your Imperial Majesty, you're even more beautiful than they say. Wouldn't it just be every girls dream to be as gorgeous as you are? And that's why I'm giving you this offer. I am Baroness Amyra Viturex, and my painter, Rythe Lythandas-I'm sure you've heard of him-is willing to paint numerous portraits of you and your beauty, using only the finest paints and papers. He shall sell pictures of your beauty all across Tamriel, where men will fall in love with your beauty, bringing them here into your service, at the low price of two thousands Septims a painting."

Once again, Iszel could not answer, as Marquise Cristina Axia had her personal guard shove Baroness Viturex to the ground. The Marquise quickly moved to where Baroness Viturex had been standing, and said, "Your Imperial Majesty, you must feel honored to meet one of the senior most Imperial nobles on all Tamriel. I am the Marquise Cristina Axia, and I have a proposition for you. I own land all across Tamriel, and, as I am growing old, I am going to sell much of my property. I am willing to sell the Empire various cities and fortresses all across Tamriel, which can be used to spread the influence of your claim."

Lady Nepia and Baroness Viturex had pushed themselves to Iszel's other side, and all three nobles began pressuring Iszel into accept their propositions. Iszel only ignored them, by remaining silent, and instead staring at the most notable and famous structure in the Temple District: the Statue of Martin. Still the most beautiful thing to grace the Imperial City since White Gold Tower, the Statue of Martin had remained the most popular tourist attraction of the Imperial City.

However, when they finally entered the Temple of the One, they saw something even more amazing, more profound. The Dragonfires had relit. As the entire council was shocked by this development, they did notice an Altmer in blue robes enter the Temple.

The Altmer crept up towards Iszel and the three noblewomen who were pestering her for money. He said, "Your Imperial Majesty, I see you've already surrounded yourself with reputable company-faith, hope, and chastity. I do enjoy it when the young are corrupted by wealth."

The nobles had become outraged, and Barenziah and Iszel began to become afraid. This was an Altmer, and was likely very dangerous. The Marquise looked at the Altmer, and said, "Who do you think you are, approaching the nobility like this! Leave at once!"

The Altmer sinisterly smiled and said, "Why, my dear Marquise, that would be quite ineffectual."

Lord Curio Avellan walked up to the Altmer and said, "Leave at once. This is my final warning."

The Altmer took out a sword, and stabbed Lord Curio. "And this is mine." Lord Curio dropped dead before anything could be done to heal him. The Marquise screamed and fainted, seeing Lord Avellan die. Lady Nepia cried for help, and Baroness Viturex ran for her life. Helseth and Barenziah both pulled Iszel further away from the murder, as to protect the Empress.

Over a dozen Blades charged at the Altmer, wielding only the finest weaponry and armor on Tamriel. However, the Altmer a fire spell, causing the entire room to explode into flames. The Blades that had charged at him had all been incinerated by the intensity of the heat, and many of the nobles had been wounded or killed. Both Count and Countess Caro were killed by the blast.

Battlemage Evangeline Beanique began throwing lightning bolts at the Altmer. The Altmer turned his attention towards her, and threw another fire spell, hitting Evangeline, killing her. Her corpse exploded, killing one of the guards near her.

As Evangeline died, the Lord High General charged at the Altmer, and stabbed him repeatedly. The Altmer had become severely wounded, and appeared as if he would die. However, before he died, he was able to read a scroll. An enormous amount of fire detonated, even more powerful than the blast before it. The Altmer died, but the Statue of Martin collapsed on those in the Temple.

Barenziah was one of the few inside not to be hit by the collapsing statue. Both Helseth and Deputy Chancellor Camoran had only been hit by a small piece, and were generally unharmed. Legion Escort Commander Falco Sedeus had been unharmed by the statue, but the Lord High General had been severely wounded. The Marquise had been taken out of the Temple by her bodyguard, and had not been hurt. Lady Nepia had been killed by the falling dragon claw. Baroness Viturex had ran out of the Temple when Lord Avellan was murdered, and therefore survived. Alessia Armus had survived unharmed due to powerful protection magic. Many of the other gentry had been killed. And Iszel had been more severely wounded than anyone else had.

Iszel was surrounded by the surviving Blades, who were protecting the Empress from any further injury. Helseth had also come to protect Iszel. Barenziah heard him calling, "Mother! Mother! The Empress is gravely wounded!"

Barenziah ran towards the Empress, avoiding the cadavers and wounded who had been hurt by the collapsing of the statue. When Barenziah had reached Iszel, she looked worse than Helseth had described. One of the falling pieces had pierced Iszel's stomach, and she had been hit on the head by another piece, knocking her unconscious.

"Mother, cast a healing spell quickly." Helseth said frantically.

Barenziah said quietly, "I don't think anything I could cast would work. These injuries are beyond me."

Helseth became very worried. If Iszel were to die he…he would be forced to side with a candidate who he was less than popular with.

Alessia Armus walked up to Helseth and said, "Your Majesty, or should I say High Chancellor," she said, "I have a suggestion as the who might be able to heal the Empress. I don't think you'll like it, but she is the only one in the city with a comprehensive knowledge of restoration, amongst other things."

Barenziah maternally said, "Who?"

Alessia said, "Lady Camandila of the Mages Guild. She is a very powerful member of the Guild."

Helseth did not look amused. "Camandila is an Altmer name." he said.

Alessia simply said, "Well, I guess that's because she's an Altmer."

Helseth said, "You can't be serious. We can't leave the fate of the Empress in the hands of an Altmer. She's more likely to kill the Empress than anything else." Helseth did not understand why he was worrying so much for the Empress. He knew that politically, she was important to him, but that wasn't why.

Barenziah stared at Helseth and said, "She's our only option, Helseth. We don't have a choice. Alessia, send for her. Have her here as soon as possible."

* * *

Less than twenty minutes later, Camandila arrived at the Temple of the One. She was given many cruel looks by the gentry, something in which she had grown accustomed. Young, especially for the Altmer, Camandila was pretty, but always wore an unfriendly scowl herself. Helseth went to greet her. "You are Lady Camandila?" asked Helseth.

Lady Camandila stared at Helseth and said, "No, I'm the _other_ Altmer Mage still living in the Imperial City." Helseth quickly caught on to the sarcasm and knew that this was going to be more difficult than he bargained for. "Where is the Empress?"

"Right this way." Helseth said, and brought Camandila to the wounded Iszel. Camandila looked at Iszel, and saw how she was wounded. "Is there anything that can be done?" he asked.

Camandila, who looked very annoyed, said, "Do you stop asking questions? Of course there's something that can be done, otherwise, I wouldn't waste my time here. Move over and give her some room. I'll be done in a second." Camandila waved her hands, and a large amount of white light was seen. Iszel sat up, her injuries gone. Camandila, still looking irritated, said, "I'm going to go help the other 'gravely' wounded victims." Camandila walked away from Iszel and Helseth, going to the Lord High General.

Before Iszel could regain full consciousness, she heard Helseth say, "By the authority vested in me, I crown Iszel Septim Empress Iszel I, Empress of Tamriel, and the first Empress of the First Era."

As he finished, one of the Imperial Guards charged into the Temple of the One. "There's trouble in the Market District." he said.

* * *

That was a long chapter. As usual, cast your votes for my questions, and comment on the story! I'd love the constructive criticism-tell me what are your favorite and least favorite elements of the story, so I can include more of the good, and less of the bad. And tell me what you think is going to happen. I'm also a little surprised that some people haven't noticed some details that could be hinting at major plot points. And does anyone remember the names Evangeline Beanique, Celia Camoran, and Rythe Lythandas. Otherwise, that's pretty much everything. I'll try to update again soon. 


	10. 9: Trouble in the Imperial City

Chapter 9: Trouble in the Imperial City and Elsewhere

Helseth and Iszel stared at the guard who had informed them of the trouble in the Market District. Iszel, still not sure if she actually survived, wondering if this was a sick joke by the Gods, could only stare. Helseth, on the other hand, asked, "What's happened in the Market District?"

The guard slowly responded, "No one's quite sure. An Altmer murdered one of the guards, and, and…we're still confused as to the details, but the guard that was murdered came back from the dead, and the citizens began turning on each other in violence."

Both Helseth and Iszel were confused. "What do you mean the guard came back from the dead?" Helseth asked. Helseth was rather confused. There was only one group of people who had that kind of power, and to Helseth's knowledge, they had been inactive for a hundred years.

"Your Majesty-I mean Chancellor-I can't explain anymore. We only know that the guard has returned from the dead and began killing people. The Altmer is helping him, that's all I know. I'm sorry, Chancellor." said the guard.

"It's fine." Helseth quickly said, not needing the distraction of the apology. "What is being done to lessen, and stop, the damage?" Helseth asked. Iszel wasn't sure of what was going on. First of all, Iszel had always believed 'dead is dead', and secondly, she was still wounded and dizzy.

The guard seemed bemused. "We don't know what to do, Chancellor. The Altmer is a very powerful sorcerer, and is impervious to our attacks. After causing mass destruction, he took over Palonirya's, and every time we send a sizeable force in, they come out trying to kill us! Many of the shops have been broken into, and not only are the guards fighting each other, the citizens have become involved."

Helseth had grown worried over the seizure of Palonirya. She was the wealthiest merchant in Cyrodiil, and most of the court had relied on Palonirya for their clothing. On the other hand, Palonirya was very demanding, and she was an Altmer. It was possible she was on their side. "What has happened to Palonirya?" Helseth asked.

The guard shook his head. "We're not sure. No one who has entered the store has survived.

Not sure what to say, Helseth inquired, "What is happening in the district itself? Has the outbreak of civil unrest been contained?" Helseth knew the answer, but he wanted a more detailed description.

The guard looked worried. "The District is in complete chaos. Buildings are being burnt to the ground in the chaos. The Altmer must have had this planned out for a very long time, to be able to go through with his plans with such efficiency."

Helseth stared at the guard. "Very well. I want any means necessary taken to capture the Altmer, as it seems should he fall, the chaos may end. Who is in command in the Market District?"

"Commander Crito Tullius, the Watch Commander, has taken control of the Market District Forces. Captain Lex, head of the Market District Security, is reporting to him." said the guard. Helseth was unimpressed at the efforts of the Commander of the Imperial Watch.

"Fine. Tell Commander Tullius that he has the authority of the High Chancellor to use every available soldier in the city. I want the Altmer alive. I shall be coming to the Market District very shortly, perhaps with other members of the Nobility, perhaps with the Empress herself. I want order restored, or Commander Tullius may be demoted." Helseth ordered.

The guard simultaneously nodded and said, "Yes sir." He immediately did as instructed, running out of the Temple of the One very quickly.

Helseth helped Iszel up, not wanting to leave her unattended, and helped her walk over towards Barenziah, who was standing near Alessia. "Mother," Helseth said, "We have a serious problem."

The look Barenziah gave was very unhappy. "What is it? We've been through two assassination attempts today. How much worse can it get?" she said.

Helseth looked at his mother, and said, "An Altmer sorcerer has assaulted the Market District, and is killing many people. And, even worse, he's brining them back from the dead to kill more people."

Barenziah's face paled. "Necromancers?"

Helseth nodded. "Those were my suspicions. But the Necromancers haven't involved themselves in _anything_ since the death of Mannimarco."

Alessia looked up, and interjected, saying, "Mannimarco doesn't die. Mannimarco became a God after the situation in Daggerfall. Killing Mannimarco is like killing Azura. It doesn't work. You can temporarily destroy their physical avatar, but you can't kill them, at least without the usage of magic that hasn't been seen on Tamriel since the arrival of the Aldmer."

Helseth was stunned at Alessia's knowledge of the King of Worms. Helseth had never directly dealt with Mannimarco, although both his mother and sister had before. Barenziah than said, "She's right, Helseth. The King of Worms is far too powerful to be killed as easily as the Mages Guild describes it. It is very possible that wasn't even the King of Worms that Axenon killed, and that it was just one of the many pretenders. However, it can't be doubted that the King of Worms is acting again, and this time, he has a much larger goal in mind than stealing my first grandchild and turning him into one of the undead." Barenziah bitterly remembered learning the deal Morgiah had made with the King of Worms, remembered that Goranthir almost became one of the undead forever.

Helseth had a thought, and asked, "If the King of Worms is back, do you think that Goranthir…or worse, his children and grandchildren…may be in danger?"

Barenziah looked at Helseth, and said, "Goranthir and his family are in danger regardless of the King of Worms…the entire Royal Family of Firsthold is in danger. Remember what Firsthold is near." Everyone there, save Iszel, knew to what it was Barenziah was referring.

* * *

In the Market District, Commander Crito Tullius, a tall and noble Imperial, was on the losing side of a major battle. The District had been thrown into such chaos and disaster, Commander Tullius could no longer tell who was friend and who was foe. 

Commander Tullius had station himself in the Merchant's Inn. His original hope would have been to be in the North Eastern Watch Tower, but it had been overrun before he had arrived in the Market District, most of the guards inside slaughtered and revived as forces of the Altmer. The Merchants Inn now served as the temporary base of Imperial Operations, as it was one of the stores furthest away from Palonirya's.

Hundreds of Imperial Guards had been called into the Market District during the crisis, but even with such overwhelming numbers, the Altmer had been able to keep himself alive and winning in Palonirya's. The last wave they had sent in after him contained nearly two-dozen soldiers of the Imperial Legion. All of them had been slaughtered by the Altmer, and all of them came charging out into the city.

While Commander Tullius had a fair amount of guards in the Merchants Inn, most of them were outside of Palonirya's, under the command of Captain Orius Lex. They had been stationed there incase the Altmer attempted to leave. Commander Tullius believed that if the Altmer could be drawn out into the open, they would be able to capture or kill him, and end this crisis. Commander Tullius also knew that the Altmer could not be allowed to leave the Market District free. If he did…the Market District was the most heavily defends section of the city, save the Palace, the Temple of the One, and the Imperial Prison.

The Commander had just given the order to stop sending waves into Palonirya's, as it was futile to do so. Now, they were just waiting for the Altmer to make a move. Commander Tullius knew there was a fat chance at that-the Altmer had all the time in the world.

The other potion of the Imperial Legion was running around the Market District, killing the spawn of the Altmer. They had killed a number of the citizens, and had taken over many of the buildings in the district, and guards were running in buildings to search for survivors. Commander Tullius knew that there would be very few, but he thought that any lives that could be saved, should be saved.

Commander Tullius only wished he had more men. During the chaos that morning, many of the Imperial Legion members were killed, and it became even worse in the Waterfront District. It turned out there had been a nasty surprise waiting, compliments of the Tribunal Temple. Much of the Imperial City's Legion had been killed, and many of the Legion's forces in Cyrodiil were busy protecting border cities-something that had seemed wise before this incident.

How the Altmer had gotten into the Market District puzzled Commander Tullius. The Imperial Watch had been warned to be wary of Altmer, Bretons, Orcs, Bosmer, and Nords. How was it that this Altmer had passed the security, especially with such a powerful weapon as this staff?

As Commander Tullius was plagued with this dilemma, Pilo Nuccius, the guard he had sent to the Empress and King Helseth returned. "Commander," Pilo said, saluting Commander Tullius. "I have news to report from the Temple District."

Commander Tullius grew intensely interested at this remark, and asked, "What is it, soldier?"

"There was another assassination attempt on the Empress. She was able to survive, but she was greatly wounded, although she was being healed as I arrived by an Altmer from the Mages Guild. Evangeline Beanique, Count and Countess Caro, Lord Avellan, and Lady Nepia were killed. The Lord High General was severely wounded in the collapse of Martin's statue." Pilo said.

"Altmer from the Mages Guild? The deaths of Evangeline, the Count and Countess Caro, Lord Avellan, and Lady Nepia? The collapse of the Dragon Statue?" Commander Tullius asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not quite sure myself, Commander, but an Altmer assassin attempted to kill the Empress, but failed. The Chancellor-" said Pilo before being interrupted by Commander Tullius.

"The Chancellor? High Chancellor Ocato is dead." Commander Tullius asked.

Pilo looked rather confused, before realizing why Commander Tullius had said that. "Oh, I'm sorry Commander, but I forgot to tell you. King Helseth has been made High Chancellor. Anyway, when the guards were about to kill the assassin, he seemingly killed himself, by blowing up, taking several nobles and Blades out with him. The Dragon Statue fell, and the Empress was wounded. Because Queen Mother Barenziah couldn't do anything about it, they called an Altmer woman from the Mages Guild, and she began to heal the Empress."

Commander Tullius nodded, and said, "Okay. What did you tell them about our situation?"

Pilo stood still, and quickly blurted out, "I told them that the Market District is under siege by a powerful Altmer, who is able to bring those he murdered back from the dead to serve him. The Chancellor told me to tell you that if the situation has not been resolved by the time he-and a few other nobles, perhaps the Empress herself, get here, you risk demotion."

Commander Tullius sarcastically said, "This is a great day." Changing tones, he said, "The Altmer is in Palonirya's, and we can not get inside without losing most of the Imperial Legion." Commander Tullius meant what he said. Without an Emperor to fight for, fewer people had joined the Imperial Legion in the past century…in the last ten years, on Imperials had joined. "Right now, I want you to go tell Captain Lex, outside of Palonirya's, to force the Altmer out into the open. If the Altmer makes it into the open, he'll be an easy target. Tell him to make sure that all of the undead creatures he has spawned are dead, as well. I want this district to have some sense of order by the time the Chancellor arrives."

Pilo nodded and said, "Yes, Commander." He quickly left the Merchants Inn. Commander Tullius was slightly insulted at the threat of demotion, but did not, as he only cared for the safety of the city.

Commander Tullius could only hope that the situation in the Market District would be contained.

* * *

Captain Orius Lex waited at the barricade outside Palonirya's, waiting for orders, waiting for the Altmer to come out. Normally, this situation wouldn't be being handled by Captain Lex-there were other Captain's in the Imperial City that would get these jobs. Captain Lex normally dealt with theft (and murder) and the Thieves Guild (and the Dark Brotherhood), following in his grandfather's footsteps in trying to capture the Gray Fox, amongst other things. 

Although only a Captain in the Imperial Legion, Orius Lex had noble blood in him. His mother had been Leone Umbranox, a younger daughter of Countess Millona. His father had been Manillian Lex, the second son of Hieronymous, who had been raised at Court, rather than with the Imperial Legion, where he had met Leone, and they had fallen in love.

Orius had been raised differently. His parents had been murdered during the post-Oblivion Crisis chaos, along with half the Umbranox Family. Dark Brotherhood Assassins had snuck into the Countess's Palace during the night, successfully murdering the guards on duty, and had broken into various of the Castles bedchambers, and…Orius couldn't stand the thought of it any longer. Aside from Manillian and Leone, fifteen other members of the Umbranox Family were killed, including the infant Miles Umbranox-a twin to Countess Miranda. That was why he joined the Imperial Legion. To avenge those who were murdered on that fateful night.

This Altmer had been able to get past him, and had caused death in the Market District. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of deaths. Orius hated this Altmer as much as he hated the demented assassins who murdered his family.

Orius now sat waiting to take action against this foul killer with over a hundred men. Most people would think that would be sufficient, but this Altmer had killed far too many to take any chances without an order from the Commander.

Orius wanted to see the Altmer die, wishing he would suffer greatly. Orius wanted that monster to pay.

As he thought this, Pilo came to the barricade. Orius had known Pilo since only this morning, but he had served as an excellent messenger, giving accurate and honest messages with great swiftness. "Captain," Pilo saluted as he said this. "I have orders from Commander Tullius."

* * *

The Altmer sat inside Palonirya's, waiting for the Imperials to charge in. He had all the time he needed, but he was growing impatient. A Necromancer of his status shouldn't be waiting. As one of the lieutenants of the King of Worms himself, he was privy to much more information than most. 

The Altmer looked at the lifeless body of Palonirya. Yes, she had helped him, but she was little more than a liability. He remembered dying for the first time. After infiltrating the Mages Guild, rising to the position of Archmagister, high enough to have a position of the Council of Mages, and spying on the Guild from within, that foolish Axenon had discovered his plans when trying to get a letter of recommendation. And than, at the Alyied ruin of Silorn, Axenon the fool had killed him, taking his Colossal Black Soul Gem. He remained dead, trapped in a void of nothingness, for sixteen years. It took Mannimarco himself sixteen years to reestablish power, and resurrect his followers that had been lost.

Now, the King of Worms had returned to power, supporting Eldaris's bid to become Emperor. The Altmer was not surprised, as Eldaris was the most powerful of the claimants, and was an Altmer as well. And Eldaris would gladly accept the help of Thras and the Sload, as well as that of the Necromancers.

* * *

Captain Orius Lex had just been given the orders from Pilo. He was to bring the full force into Palonirya's in an attempt to kill the Altmer. He would lead the charge; he would be the first man in, and the last man out. He would kill the horrible Altmer who caused all of the death and destruction in the Market District. 

Orius opened the door to Palonirya's, half-expecting to be killed upon entrance. Instead, he saw nothing, but the body of Palonirya. The men slowly began to follow him in, not wanting to be killed by the Altmer. "Search the upstairs, and the downstairs." Orius ordered. The men divided themselves relatively evenly, with about a third of them on each floor.

Orius himself went into the basement. The basement was standard for Palonirya's-it had extravagant clothing, expensive tailoring materials, and other things of the nature. Orius began to lead his men down, and ordered them to look around the entire basement. Orius moved towards the door in the corner, leading to the backroom, preparing enter, with only half a dozen men behind him.

* * *

Upon hearing the Imperial Legion troops mobilize, the Altmer had fled into the backroom, where he had immediately cast an invisibility spell upon himself. In the backroom, the Altmer had set up a trap, one that would make short work of the Imperial Legion. 

* * *

Captain Orius Lex led the half a dozen men into the backroom, when they began to search for signs of the Altmer. The backroom was much larger than the other, and it appeared to have contained numerous doors, including an entrance to the sewers. Orius was not surprised, as many of the buildings had underground entrances, but was annoyed at the escape route for the Altmer. 

Orius went towards the sewer entrance, examining it. What he noticed was that it was locked from this side. That meant the Altmer was still inside.

Upon turning around, Orius saw something that had frightened him. There was a bottle, a potion, to be specific, on a desk. The bottle was leaking blood red mist into the air. Orius had never seen this before, and had only heard of it once. This was the potion used to assassinate the Tsaesic potentates during the second era. It was deadly to the Snakes of the Tsaesic, and even more deadly to humans-only pureblooded Elves were immune to it. The mist itself was what was dangerous, as if the mist entered the blood, a person would die.

Orius did the only sensible thing he could. "Everybody out!" he yelled, in a desperate attempt to get the survivors out alive.

Orius charged upstairs, and discovered that the door was locked. He had led over a hundred men to their deaths inside an evil, extravagant clothing store. They would all die because of this mist.

Within ten minutes, they were all dead, Orius included.

* * *

Commander Crito Tullius had not heard from Pilo in thirty minutes when he began to grow suspicious. It was strange of Orius not to send a repot back, as he was always very efficient. 

Commander Tullius was worried that something had gone wrong, and that Orius, bent on saving people, had led a charge into Palonirya's. If that were true, they would all be dead. Commander Tullius knew the Altmer wasn't any ordinary Sorcerer, and attempting to fight him on his terms wouldn't work.

Commander Tullius got up to leave, to investigate, when his guards beat him down. "Where do ya think you're goin'?" one of them asked. "The Emperor wouldn't pay us much if you live, would 'he?" The guards proceeded to beat him to death.

* * *

Helseth, Alessia, and Camandila were being escorted through the Imperial Palace to the Market District by two-dozen Blades. Iszel had been left in the care of Barenziah back in the Temple of the One, as she had not fully recovered from her injuries. Camandila had been able to create a miracle, but even miracles take time. 

The three of them marched silently through the Palace Grounds, slowly moving towards the Market District. Helseth was in the center of the three, and leading the group. Alessia was to his right and Camandila was to his left, walking slightly behind him.

Helseth knew that both Alessia and Camandila had been essential in saving this Empire. If Alessia had not known about Camandila, Iszel would have surely died. If Camandila had not known about restoration, Iszel would have surely died.

The three remained silent for unknown reasons. It was not that they were in particular mourning-none of them particularly cared for Count or Countess Caro (especially Countess Caro), Lord Avellan, or Lady Nepia. Perhaps it was that Camandila and Alessia did not particularly like each other, or perhaps it was that Helseth wasn't making very good conversation. However, it was only when they entered the Market District did the silence end.

The Market District had been burned to the ground. Few buildings still stood, and it was in complete and utter chaos, pure and simple chaos. The once populous Market District was gone.

And what had replaced it was terrible. The Altmer watched over the burning Market, and the group saw that nearly a hundred and fifty Imperial Guards were obeying him. Helseth and Alessia could only gasp. The Blades were sickened by such destruction.

However, Camandila could only shout when she saw who the Altmer was. "FALCAR!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, drawing the attention of all of those in attendance.

The Altmer, Falcar, turned towards Camandila, and snootily said, "Camandila. It's been too long."

Camandila looked at Falcar and said, "I don't think it's been long enough Falcar. A century isn't long enough."

Falcar looked into Camandila's eyes, and said, "That's not what you would have said back then."

Camandila grew angry at this remark, and shouted, "You sicken me, Falcar. Defecting to the King of Worms and becoming a Necromancer. Disturbing and demented. Murdering associates. Sick and twisted. Seducing members of the Council of Mages to get information, and turn them to the King of Worms. You stole information from Bothiel and you corrupted Caranya."

Falcar smiled and said, "I never corrupted Caranya. She was a Necromancer before I joined the Mages Guild. And you're forgetting about what I did to you."

Camandila lost her temper at this. She began to throw lightning spells at Falcar. Falcar retaliated by shouting, "My minions, kill these mortals!" The undead guards began swarming the escort.

Helseth and Alessia quickly moved backwards to avoid the undead. Camandila, in a raging fury, continued casting spells at Falcar, and Falcar alone. Falcar began throwing ice bolts at Camandila. Both of them were quickly moving as to dodge the spells of the other one.

The undead guards were charging at the Blades, who surrounded Helseth and Alessia, were far more experience than the undead guards. However, they were also greatly outnumbered. The Blades closest towards the action were quickly killed by the hordes of the undead.

Falcar saw these Blades die, and took out his staff, and pointed towards the dead Blades. The dead Blades were resurrected by the power of the staff. Camandila saw this, and saw her opportunity. As he pointed his staff at the second of the dead Blades, Camandila threw a powerful lightning bolt at Falcar, knocking him unconscious.

Camandila turned her attention towards Falcar's undead hordes, and began aiding the Blades, throwing numerous lightning, fire, and frost spells at them. The Blades were fighting valiantly, and the undead were slowly being defeated.

Three of the undead came towards Camandila, and started cutting her. She was too tired to cast magic, and was not strong enough to hold a decent weapon. She fell to the ground, and the undead began hurting her.

Seeing this, Helseth picked up one of the swords of the fallen Blades, and charged at the undead assaulting Camandila. Killing them, Helseth helped Camandila up, and walked her over towards Alessia, where it was safer.

The undead were defeated after an hour of fighting. Only two of the Blades were able to survive, but they had triumphed. They now turned their attention towards the still unconscious Falcar. The two Blades charged towards Falcar, ready to kill him, when Camandila mustered the little energy she had, and said, "Stop!" The Blades stopped their charge, and turned towards Camandila. She quietly (and snidely) continued, saying, "If you killed him, Mannimarco could resurrect him again. It wouldn't help. Besides, we need to get information from him-he's likely the architect of the assassination attempt on Iszel as well. Killing him doesn't do any good for us. Confiscate his staff before he can wake up."

The Blades did as Camandila instructed, and Helseth nodded approvingly seeing her display of command. Helseth than added his orders, "Bring him to the Elder Council Chambers. The Empress is going to be present for the interrogation, and the Elder Council Chambers is the safest room for anything." The Blades continued to do as instructed, and Helseth said to Alessia, "Go get the Empress, my mother, and the other nobles there, and bring them to the Elder Council Chambers."

* * *

When Falcar woke up, he was in the Elder Council Chambers, surrounded by what was unofficially the new Elder Council. He was bound, and he could not yet see, but he heard Camandila say, "Falcar, you stand charged of murder, treason, attempted murder, attempted treason, and a large amount of other charges that would take far too much time to list. In exchange for your life, and perhaps your freedom, we are offering that you answer a few questions." 

Falcar realized he did not of much of choice. He was temporarily blind and bound, so he said a simple, "Okay."

Camandila started. "First question." she said. "Are you a Necromancer in service of the King of Worms?"

Falcar said, "You know the answer, Camandila. And you know what I did to get some information from you on Necromancy."

Embarrassed by this comment, Camandila nonetheless continued her inquisition. "Is it true you attempted to murder Axenon."

Falcar laughed. "Yes. But Caranya succeeded last night." The entire court looked at Falcar in amazement. He had just said that Caranya had killed the Imperial Champion, who was also the Archmage of the Mages Guild, Grand Champion of the Arena, Grand Champion of the Fighters Guild, and a prominent member of the Order of the Virtuous Blood.

"You liar!" screamed Camandila in anger. Falcar shook his head. "You monster! How could you plot such a thing! How could you do such a thing! Why don't you go crawl under a hole and die!" Camandila was in tears.

Barenziah interjected and said, "Guards, escort Falcar to the Imperial Prison. I believe we need a recess before we can continue. That is, if it is okay with you, your Imperial Majesty."

Iszel nodded, and Falcar was escorted away. Camandila was in hysterical tears, and she couldn't help it. She hadn't cried in years, and now she was. It was so strange to her. Iszel looked at Camandila, and said, "Camandila, you saved my life, and I'm grateful. Would you mind explaining to me what is making you so upset."

Camandila shook her head. "No disrespect intended, your Imperial Majesty, but it's been a difficult past few days, and I'd wish that you would let me return to the Arcane University for rest."

Iszel also shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't allow that, Camandila. I need a new Imperial Battlemage, since Evangeline died. I would be most gracious if you were to accept the position. You will have your own chamber on the upper floors." Camandila nodded, and apparently signified she accepted the position. Iszel indicated towards one of the guards that she wanted Camandila escorted to her chambers. "With this break in the interrogation, I'd like to call a brief recess in the meeting."

* * *

Countess Narina Carvain was in her Throne Room, waiting from the reports from her scout. She had heard a rumor in town that Herold was sending the might of all Skyrim against her city for an unknown reason. 

The very elderly Countess was gray-haired, and wore a sapphire blue dress. However, the most attention drawing thing she wore was the Diamond Necklace around her neck, known as Winter's Will. She had received the Diamond on an expedition to Skyrim, to increase her artifact collection. The Diamond was shaped as an icicle, and was a radiant, deep blue.

The Countess's scout came charging in the room. "Countess," he shouted. "The rumors are true! An army of over ten thousand Nords shall be here within two hours."

The Countess looked grim. "It is just as I expected. Prepare the city's defenses, and send messengers to all allied cities. I have already sent one to the Imperial City. Bruma has survived siege in my lifetime before, and she can do it again." At least, the Countess hoped it could.

* * *

High Archanon Fedris Hler had been giving orders for the past several hours. His coup against the Royal Family of Morrowind was going to begin very shortly, and he wanted it to be a complete success. With his planning, and his lord's blessing, there was no way it couldn't. 

* * *

Empress Regent Aleria Willows was preparing her army for a march on Woodhearth. She would kill King Maglir and his family herself. With such persuasion, Queen Ganredhel would undoubtedly giver her full support to Farwyn, and Valenwood would be a united province in this war. 

* * *

Empress Mathilda Aureon was in her room, staring in her mirror. Her mirror was an ancient Aldmer artifact, one that showed any city on Tamriel to the owner. She looked at Bruma, she looked at Woodhearth, and she looked at Orsinium. As she stared into the mirror, she schemed on how to remove her council from power, and give it all to herself. 

* * *

Emperor Herold's army was nearing the Skyrim border, and soon they would attack Bruma. With Winter's Will, the armies of Skyrim would win the war, and Tamriel will be ruled by a nation that would not enslave them, abuse them, or oppress them. With his victory at Bruma, Tamriel would enter a golden age, free from the rule of the Elves, once and for all. 

* * *

And that's the end of that chapter. You know what kind of questions I want answered, and I'd like to know what I could do better for future chapters. There's bound to be some typos in this chapter, because I wasn't writing on my normal computer, but I felt like I needed to update soon. 


	11. 10: The Battle of Bruma

Chapter 10: The Battle of Bruma

The City of Bruma, the northern most city in Cyrodiil, stood still. The city had always been relatively quiet, distant from most other cities in Cyrodiil. Few people had ever crossed the Cyrodiil-Skyrim border, and now even fewer had. Those who did cross the border settled in Bruma, and rarely left the quiet, peaceful city.

Bruma had always been very Nordic in culture, which was expected of a city so close to Skyrim. The city had been found during the First Empire of Men under Nordic Rule as the southern most outpost of Skyrim in their war with Summerset Isle and the Altmer. The houses were all wooden, as they had been for centuries, and the vast majority of the population was Nords. The only notable exception to that rule was the Carvain Family, headed by the ancient Countess Narina Carvain.

After the Oblivion Crisis, many of the Imperials still living in Bruma had left. The city had fallen under siege, and nearly overrun by a large Daedric invasion, and they no longer wanted to be near the border. Many of the Nords in the city were pleased with this, as they disliked the Imperial snobbery, as many felt Imperial Culture was a cheap imitation of Altmer culture, a culture the Nords still did not like.

Only the Carvain Family, and a few officers of the Imperial Legion, had stayed. This decision, made entirely by the Countess, had been frowned upon by many of her family members. The Countess, well over a hundred years old (surprisingly old for an Imperial) had kept the family in Bruma because of a oath to the Empire, and because the Countess had always loved the city. Although the Nords disliked most Imperials, the Countess had been an exception. She had been different from many of the other counts and countesses near borders. Unlike Countess Caro, the _real_ power in Leyawiin, who wished to destroy Argonian Culture, Countess Carvain did not wish to totally assimilate the Nords into the Empire, but to blend the cultures, to make an even mix between the two. Unlike Count Andel, who had been a close friend to King Helseth, Countess Carvain did not receive her position because of friends in Skyrim, and not working for their political agenda.

However, the rest of the Carvain Family, with the exception of the Countesses eldest daughter and heir, Livia Carvain, and her descendants, the Carvain Family detested Bruma. It was forever cold, always snowing, covering the city in an eternal layer of frost. It was populated by the Nords, traditionally viewed as an uncivilized and savage people. But most importantly, the Carvain Family did not wish to suffer a catastrophe. Aside from Kvatch, Bruma was viewed as the most disaster prone city in the Empire. The City had fallen under siege during the Oblivion Crisis, had suffered a famine after the Oblivion Crisis, and everyone in the city remembered the arrival of the King of Worms, and his destruction of the Mages Guild.

Now, they feared their worst fears would come true. Herold of Skyrim led an army unmatched in size in power by any other in the past several hundred years, and the city of Bruma would have to resist this siege, relying on a guard comprised entirely of Nords, those they had insulted, mocked, and dishonored, against in army of their own kind. Most of them felt defending the city would be futile to attempt to defend the city, and that fleeing while they still had a chance would be their best bet. The Countess refused to leave the city alive, and only the young children had been escorted to Chorrol, to escape the siege-on order of the Countess. The rest of the Carvain Family had been expected to do as it had for centuries-stay in Bruma, and defend the city with their lives.

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Just a short ten miles north of Bruma, the Nordic Army had made its camp. Outnumbering the Carvain Family and their city defense ten to one, the army's victory was nearly inevitable.

The Nordic Army had no idea of their Emperor's intention of invading the city. Most of them believed it was the first attack in a military campaign. Most had no idea of the real reasons the Emperor had commanded the full force of Skyrim to Bruma. Only a select group of the Emperors advisors, his court, had known.

The Nordic Camp was just as large as Bruma, if not larger, only the camp had over four times the amount of people living in it. Emperor Herold's call to arms was answered with many supportive responses, and all of the Royal Families of Skyrim, save the Royal Family of Solitude and the Royal Family of Whiterun, had sent one of their sons, and a forcer of over a thousand soldiers, to rendezvous at the town of Riverwood, just north of the Skyrim-Cyrodiil border.

The Royal Family of Solitude had done nothing, remaining inactive in the war. However, the Royal Family of Whiterun had instead sent Crown Princess Margaret with a small escort to support the Nordic Army. Initially taking offense, the Emperor quickly learned that Crown Princess Margaret, more commonly known as the Dark Enchantress of Whiterun, had proven to be an invaluable asset.

Crown Princess Margaret was the granddaughter of Jsashe, known as the Witch Queen of Whiterun, due to her self-proclamation of being a priestess of Lorkhan. During her life, Jsashe had been able to secure control over Whiterun, being able to gain more power than even the King of Whiterun had. With this power, she had been able to rebuild the power Whiterun had lost during the Imperial Simulacrum, the days where Jagar Tharn had usurped Emperor Uriel VII, making it one of the more powerful Kingdoms of Skyrim. Jsashe's daughter was Jonna, who married then Crown Prince Henrik, the son of the former King of Whiterun. Henrik was now King, Jonna was Queen Consort, and Margaret was their only child.

Crown Princess Margaret stood six feet tall, taller than most Nordic women, and had a face that appeared imperious and cold, cruel and calculating, manipulative and beautiful, devious and surreal. Unlike a vast majority of Nords, she had raven black hair, with a pair of blue eyes complementing it. Always wearing a black dress, one that resembled witches robes, torn towards the bottom. Around her neck was a sapphire amulet, possessing frost based destruction powers. When she walked, she appeared as if she was slightly levitating, and the cold would follow her.

Margaret possessed much influence throughout Skyrim. She had friends in every Royal Court of Skyrim, including Winterhold, Dawnstar, and even Solitude. She had friends in many other Royal Courts as well, including the Royal Court of Evermore, Dragonstar, and Cloudrest. With these friends, she had been able to spy on various other royals. Not for Skyrim, not for Whiterun, but for Margaret. She didn't care about her province or kingdom, only for her own agenda. This was why Vilfred did not trust her.

Vilfred had traveled with the Emperor south towards Bruma, as did the rest of the Court of Winterhold. The Emperor did not want him to come, as he was old and frail, but he had insisted upon staying with his Emperor. He knew that the Emperor needed someone to keep track of his troops, he knew the Emperor needed someone to map out a course of action, and he knew the Emperor needed someone to keep Margaret in check. If Vilfred had not come, Margaret would be in complete control-not in name, but in actuality. The same thing her grandmother had done.

Vilfred was preparing to go to a meeting in the Emperor's tent, to be attended by only the Royals in the army (the Emperor, Princess Margaret, Prince Fjorier of Dawnstar, Prince Allding of Windhelm, Prince Haening of Riften, Prince Hrargal of Falkrenth, and Prince Haesmar of Markarth Side) and the Royal Court of Winter Hold. These were the highest ranked officials in Skyrim, and the Emperor's most trusted advisors. It was a shame that Princess Margaret was on that list, because Vilfred knew she could not be trusted.

As Vilfred sat at the table in his tent, he took a sip of mead. He didn't understand the Emperor's trust of Margaret. She had never shown loyalty to Winter Hold, Whiterun, or Skyrim. She had never done anything to benefit anyone but herself. Vilfred couldn't understand her aim, and why she was trusted. Was he the only one who could see that she was evil?

Vilfred had another theory as to why the Emperor trusted her. The Emperor, however hard he tried not to be, was a somewhat impatient man. With the help of Margaret, a day and a half journey from Winter Hold to Bruma had been reduced to a few hours. The Emperor had been blinded by his need for Winter's Will, and the power over winter.

Vilfred had been the only one to witness this lust for power. He had never seen the Emperor do such a thing. The Emperor had always been peaceful, easygoing, and kind. The streak of authority he had seen…it was unusual. Vilfred was somewhat horrified by the Emperor's sudden…need…for this Winter's Will. The fact that the Emperor was so quick to mobilize his entire army for a stupid diamond necklace (one that Vilfred doubted was real, in the first place) seemed…excessive.

As Vilfred thought of these things-Margaret, Winter's Will, the Emperor, and the upcoming Battle of Bruma, he died.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

In the Emperor's tent, Herold sat, waiting for Vilfred. Everyone else he had summoned to the meeting was there. Herold could only wonder what was taking Vilfred so long. Vilfred was usually the first person at a meeting, and now he was late.

Herold looked around the tent. He saw Princess Margaret and Prince Fjorier conversing in the corner. This made him somewhat uneasy. Princess Margaret wasn't the trustworthiness person he knew, and Prince Fjorier was from Dawnstar. While Dawnstar and Winter Hold had long settled their feud, Dawnstar had been allied with Solitude until recently. It made Herold wonder if the Princess was playing her games, using Winter Hold, Solitude, and Dawnstar as the pieces.

Opposite of Princess Margaret and Prince Fjorier were Prince Allding, Prince Haening, Prince Hrargal, and Prince Haesmar were drinking and laughing, and such childish things. Herold could not help but to be accepting of this, as he had once been young and reckless. They were all young, second or third born children, worth next to nothing in their own kingdoms. Only Margaret was different. Even Fjorier was the same…more mature, but the same.

Margaret _was_ different. Herold couldn't explain why…for someone so young, she was very old. Herold could only guess how terrible her childhood was. Remembering meeting her on a trip to Whiterun, many years ago, Herold remembered her as a child. She was a depressed, miserable, unhappy little girl, too smart, too pragmatic, and too self-sacrificing for her age. Herold couldn't even remember seeing her smile.

The others present-minor lords from Winter Hold-were variously scattered about the tent, waiting impatiently for the meeting to begin. Herold was not surprised at their impatience. They had been waiting for an extra ten minutes for Vilfred.

Growing more anxious with each passing second, Herold sat down. Ever since leaving Winter Hold, Herold had been getting an increasingly big headache. He didn't know exactly what it meant, but it was accompanied by a very bad feeling. The headache was screeching at him from within, causing huge amounts of pain. However, as a warrior of Skyrim, Herold did not allow something as trivial as a headache to stop him.

As Herold waited for Vilfred, Princess Margaret left Fjorier, and walked up to Herold. With her usual look of depression and contempt, she said, "Your Imperial Majesty, I've had a…vision. Vilfred is dead."

Before Herold could respond to this, he needed a minute to digest the information. Vilfred had known Herold since he had been a mere child. Now that he was dead, he did not know what he would do for a steward. Not only that, how and why did Margaret know about this? And why was she telling him? Herold, not knowing what to do, simply decided to see what Margaret would do. "I see." he said. "What do you intend to do about it?"

Margaret appeared as if she had become plagued by pain, before saying, "I do not know." She paused, looking as if she had an idea accompanied by more pain. "He was old, and his time was near. Appoint a new steward soon, but not now. Wait until after the Battle. If the men learn of his death they may become suspicious." Margaret was now breathing heavily, as if she had become fatigued. Before he could respond, Margaret quickly whispered, "I can't say more." She quickly scurried to her place in the tent.

Herold was somewhat puzzled at Margaret's comments. Why was she so fatigued because of that? How did she know of Vilfred's death? And what was she plotting? Herold began to doubt his suspicions of Margaret.

Taking his focus off Margaret and Vilfred, Herold realized that there was an eminent battle coming, and he needed to prepare. "Nobles of Skyrim." he said. "It's time for battle."

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Allian Carvain, a grandson to the Countess, stood over the Northern Gate of Bruma, overlooking the Jerall Mountains. A young man, barely twenty-five years of age, Allian was the firstborn son, and only child, of Clecentor Carvain, the third child of the Countess. In other words, he stood almost no chance of ever inheriting anything of value.

Instead, Allian had been trained in the ways of battle. Trained to use swords, axes, and war hammers, Allian was amongst the most talented warriors in Bruma. He was certainly the most talented Imperial warrior living in Bruma, not that there was much competition.

Allian was appointed second-in-command over the northern gate by the Countess herself. This was an honor, especially for one as young as Allian. Answering only to Jesan Carvain, his uncle, was unusual for the youth.

Allian remembered the meeting the Countess had just held, inside the Great Hall of Castle Bruma. The Countess, knowing of the upcoming battle, had described her plan. The younger members of the Carvain Family had been rushed to Chorrol, which was likely the safest city in Cyrodiil. The others had been expected to stay.

The Countess had explained how she would remain in the Great Hall of Castle Bruma, along with Catia Carvain, the Countess's second child, Celeta Phillida-Carvain, Catia's only daughter, and Flaenia Carvain, the Countess's fifth and youngest child, as well as the spouses of the Countess's children and grandchildren. Castle Bruma was likely the safest place in the city, and would serve as the Countess's Command Center. The Countess had also planned to let the citizens of Bruma into the castle, as many would die if they were not.

The Countess had continued, saying that Livia and her children, Lucan and Calvus, would be in the Chapel of Talos in the city, serving as the command of the city. As the Castle was to be closed off, with the exception of the Countess's messengers, Livia would be in command, and all reports were to go to her.

The East Gate, which was strategically less important than the North Gate, had been placed under the command of Clecentor Carvain, Allian's father, and Aunius Phillida-Carvain, Catia's only son. The East Gate was strategically less important for a multitude of reasons, but the main one was because the North Gate faced the enemy army.

The North Gate was the most important position in the city, only adding to the honor of Allian's appointment. The North Gate would be the first station to sight the enemy, and the first to engage in combat. If the Nords had a battering ram of some sort, it would attack the North Gate. If the city were to be breached, it would be from the North Gate.

This was a great honor for one as young as Allian. It gave Allian satisfaction that he was chosen over his rival, Aunius. This honor and responsibility was a great one, one that could determine the fate of this city and of this war.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Catia Carvain sat inside the Great Hall of Castle Bruma. She was tired of waiting for the battle to begin, she had been sitting there for hours, doing nothing but listen beggars moan. Catia hated living in Bruma more than any of the other Carvain's. She hated her stupid mother, she hated her stupid kids, she hated her stupid siblings, and she hated this stupid city. If the Nords were able to sack it, Catia wouldn't care.

Catia was fairly old, already in her late seventies. She had been born when the Countess was forty-eight years old, and didn't have her first child, Aunius, until she was fifty-one, after one year of marriage to that idiotic Tinnius Phillida, the son of Adamus Phillida. Why her moronic mother had married her to _that _piece of work she would never understand. Two years later, after her second brat was born, she finally disposed of him, hoping to get married to Gellius Terentius, even if he was a junkie. He was a junkie who was next in line to become the Count of Bravil.

Instead, her mother had let Catia and her children come back to Bruma and live there. As if she had wanted that. Her mother knew that she hated the city, and that her children would hate it just as much. She wanted to spite them because Catia had never been as good a daughter as Livia.

Catia knew it was absurd of her mother to want her to be like Livia. Livia had received everything-riding lessons, poetry lessons, painting lessons, hunting lessons, etiquette lessons, and the Countess had groomed her into the perfect successor. Catia had gotten nothing, except a few basic etiquette lessons. She had basically been born in case Livia and her children died.

Catia cared about Livia about as much as she cared for her own children-not at all. Aunius was an arrogant pig, and Celeta was practically a tramp. Celeta, who wasn't married, of course, had had three pregnancies, and three abortions. The last thing Catia needed was another screamer. Catia felt that Aunius, on the other hand, was lucky, because she would never know how many illegitimate children he had.

Catia, forever sick of the life she lived, simple sat in the Great Hall, and waited for the Nords to sack the city.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Lucan Carvain was inside the Chapel of Talos, standing with his mother, brother, and Commander Bram, the Commander of the Bruma Guard. Lucan was a tall and muscular thirty-two year old, with auburn hair and beard. Like many of his cousins, and his brother, Lucan prided himself on his talent as a warrior, and often competed with the others.

Lucan, as the elder child of Livia, would likely be Count of Bruma one day, and was being given the same grooming his mother had been given in her youth. However, he was given more military training as well, as Livia had never taken much of an interest in it. Lucan, on the other hand, nearly lived for his military training, and the excitement of battle.

Lucan, unlike his cousins, and his brother, enjoyed planning battles and strategic maneuvers, rather than the actual battle itself. Lucan had always been very bright, and found it difficult to cause pain to anyone, even his enemies. It was why Eloe had fallen in love with him.

Eloe Valga had been the delicate, quiet, sweet-natured great granddaughter of Countess Arianna Valga of Chorrol, the fourth child of a seventh child of a third child, and was basically a spare heir to the Valga's. Because of this distance to inheriting, many of the Valga's (or more appropriately, Alessia Caro née Valga), had wanted to give Eloe away to the Prince of Rihad in Hammerfell as a trophy wife, so the Valga's could become more powerful in other provinces. However, Countess Valga, who was much more loving than Eloe's great-aunt, gave Eloe the right to chose her own husband, much to the anger of Alessia.

However, Countess Valga did not want to see her descendants marrying commoners. She invited all male children of nobility in their twenties to a grand ball in Castle Chorrol. At this Grand Ball, just as Eloe grew tired, one of the others, specifically Bassus Terentius from Bravil, had gotten drunk (like everyone else in his family would), and had tried to start a fight with Lucan, right in front of Eloe. Lucan had not fought back, and had yelled at the guards for using harsh force to restrain him. After that, Eloe became interested in Lucan, and she started to talk with him. They married three weeks later.

Lucan was grateful he had a wife as beautiful and kindhearted as his, and children as wonderful as Jena and Wariel. Jena and Wariel had been the best children he could have hoped for. They almost never misbehaved, and they were always polite to their great-grandmother, Countess Carvain, and their great-uncle, Marcus Valga. He missed them, although they were safer in Chorrol. Eight and five year-olds were too young to see battle.

Remembering the upcoming battle, Lucan turned his attention to the defense of the city. He heard his mother say, "Gentleman, this is the greatest threat to Bruma since the Oblivion Crisis. Commander, where is General Platorious? He was sent to the nearby farms and villages for support troops hours ago. He surely could have returned by now."

Commander Bram, a tall and fairly young Nordic warrior, loyal to both the Carvain Family and to the Empire, stood quiet for a moment. After this pause, he said, "I don't know madam. It is possible he was intercepted, or he has defected to the enemy. Shall I send scouts to look for him?"

Livia commandingly responded, "No Commander. We don't have enough manpower to defend the city as it is. If we start sending scouts out, the enemy will be able to march right through the city gates. Until sign of General Platorious is found, you are acting Brigadier General of County Bruma."

Bram looked at the authoritative noblewoman, and said, "Thank you, madam." The title of Brigadier General was used for the commander of a County, and all members of the Legion in County Bruma answered to him now. He still answered to General Avellan Vivio in Cheydinhal, the man in charge of the Legion in Nibenay (as well as Cheydinhal, of course).

Ignoring Bram's remark, Livia quickly proceeded, knowing is she slowed down, the enemy would be upon them. "As you undoubtedly know, we greatly outnumbered. The city watch possesses just over five hundred men. County Bruma has another hundred odd patrolmen, all of whom have been recalled to Bruma. This leaves us with an approximate six hundred men, against an army of ten thousand."

Lucan looked at his mother, and said, "What about the other Nibenay cities? Surely, we must send word to General Vivio. He could send an army from anywhere in Nibenay if he heard we were under siege."

Livia shook her head. "An envoy has not only been sent to General Vivio, but to General Nepia in Skingrad, to Brigadier General Modisius in Chorrol, and to the Imperial City itself. No one has yet responded. I fear for the worse, and believe our envoys were captured or killed along the way."

Calvus, who had so far remained silent, said, "That doesn't make sense. The Nords aren't anywhere near those cities."

Livia quickly answered, "The Nords may very well have a small blockade around the city. Even if they don't, there are other dangers in this world. It is possible they were attacked by bandits, or something worse." Calvus nodded at Livia. Changing the topic, Livia continued by saying, "A small force of fifty men has been left in Castle Bruma, too protect the locals and the Countess. The actual city is guarded by another seventy-five men, leaving almost five hundred men for the gates. The gates are the key to the city. If they can breach the area of either one of the gates, the rest of the city will fall." There was a solemn pause, before Livia continued. "Nearly three hundred men have been station at the North Gate. The rest are at the East Gate. The men have instructions to hold their ground no matter what comes with the Nords. These men have all been armed with the best bows and arrows in Bruma. On top of the city's wall, these men are impervious to all enemy attacks, save those from archers and spellcasters. Knowing the Nords, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. It took us awhile to get our Nords to work with these bows. Eventually, our men will run out of arrows. When a soldier runs out of arrows, they are to move their position to behind their respective gates, and draw their swords. From there, they must fight to the death, or hope, by some miracle granted by the Nine, reinforcements arrive."

After hearing Livia's grand speech, Lucan began to speak. "Although we are vastly outnumbered, we are not completely hopeless. The Nords have been traveling for up to eight straight hours, with almost no pause in their movement. Most of them will be fatigued and easy targets. At that, Skyrim is not the wealthiest of the provinces. Many of the enemy forces will be wearing relatively weak armor, and will be carrying relatively cheap weapons. If we are smart, we should be able to defend the city."

Livia smiled, and said, "Excellent. Bram, ready the troops."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Empress Mathilda Aureon sat in the Throne Room of Daggerfall. Mathilda knew that the foolish Princess Margaret was trying to ruin everything. All of her great schemes gone to waste. That's what Margaret wanted to see. Solitude was almost ready to support Mathilda when Margaret showed up. Margaret had nearly manipulated it so that the unthinkable would happen. If Margaret were able to convince Herold to stop the battle and yield his claim to the little girl who claimed the title of Empress, everything would be ruined. Mathilda had enough problems: Elysana and Gro-Mak-Han, Hammerfell, and her own treacherous court. The last thing she needed was Skyrim under the control of Cyrodiil. If the other kingdoms of man were to unite, High Rock would follow.

Mathilda had an idea. She stood up, and shouted a single word. "MARIE!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The City of Mournhold, within the City of Almalexia, stood silent. High Archanon Fedris Hler had positioned everything for his coup. The Royal Family, including the Black Queen of Firsthold herself, was all inside the Royal Palace. Guarded by only the Royal Guard, the Palace would fall quickly. The High Ordinators would be able to make short work of them. With the Royal Family in captivity, the Hlaalu power base would fall, and the Temple and its allies would return to their former glory as the supreme power of Morrowind.

As the High Archanon prepared the final touches of his plan, a messenger rushed into his office. "Your Holiness," the messenger, a heavily breathing Dunmer, gasped out, "Your scouts have grave news."

The High Archanon stared at the messenger in anger. "What is it?" he said bluntly and rudely.

"Duke Vedam Dren is returning from Cyrodiil on authority of the Empress. He brings a Legion with him, one with the intent to defend Almalexia from rebel control." the messenger forced out.

The High Archanon narrowed his eyes. "When will they be here? If they try to intervene with my plans-"

"They will be here by tomorrow evening. It will not interfere with your plans, Your Holiness. However, keeping the city will be slightly more difficult. I recommend you call for reinforcements." the messenger said.

The High Archanon nodded. "Very well. Go to either Blacklight, Sotha Sil, Necrom, or Port Telvannis. I shall send other envoys to the other cities. If they wish to battle with our Lord, then so be it. We shall fight in the name of Vivec."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

In the Imperial City, newly appointed Imperial Battlemage Camandila sat in her room. She had been so upset at the death of Axenon, she couldn't do anything. As she turned to lie down, she saw a blinding flash. She was having a vision.

The vision depicted a large group of white wolves charging against a small group of what appeared to be a combination of wolves and gold dragons. As the wolves charged, Camandila saw a large red dragon in the background, fighting with two separate entities. On its right, it fought one of the white wolves, one that appeared to be defensive of both the white wolves and the wolf/dragon hybrids. On its left, it fought with a smaller green dragon, which was aided by a large black wolf wearing a gold crown. Behind all of this was darkness.

Not understanding what she was doing, Camandila got up, and ran to the Elder Council Chambers. Running in, she saw only Iszel, Helseth, Barenziah, and Alessia, sitting in the thrones around the table. "Your Imperial Majesty!" she shouted. "Send an army to Bruma, quickly!"

The others all looked puzzled. Barenziah asked, "Why should we send an army to Bruma, Camandila? What do you know?"

Camandila appeared confused. "I don't know what I know. Or I know what I don't know. I'm not quite sure anymore. But that's not the point. I don't know how I know, but Bruma is about to be attacked by Skyrim."

Helseth stared at Camandila. "What makes you think that we should trust you?" he asked. "You're an Altmer. You could be trying to convince us to leave so Eldaris could invade."

Camandila stared angrily at Helseth. "But I'm not, you idiot. If I were helping Eldaris, I would have helped Falcar. Does it look like I'd help Falcar? Falcar helped kill Axenon. I could never help anyone who did that."

Helseth looked at Camandila again. "Lets pretend I do trust you." he said. "What makes you think we've got an army to march a hundred miles to Bruma in the first place? Most of the Legion in the Imperial City was killed by Falcar and his minions."

Camandila wasn't sure how to answer. She had forgotten about the casualties they had suffered when Falcar attacked. There was barely enough troops to defend the Palace District alone. If they were to move the few troops they had, anyone could take over the city. Camandila wasn't a strategist, but she knew that losing the capital would be a poor opening to a war.

Alessia looked worried, while Barenziah said, "Helseth, you're making this more complicated than it really is. All we have to do is send for help. Rally as many troops as you can here, and send Baroness Viturex home to Cheydinhal, she would surely be able to convince General…I believe it's presently General Avellan Vivio who's in charge there now…she would surely be able to convince him to send help. And we could send the Marquise to Skingrad, and General Olana Nepia will definitely send help. Besides, she needs to be informed of what happened to her sister. Meanwhile, we can be rallying troops here. Than you can lead an army north and defend Bruma."

Helseth was stunned. Looking revolted, he said, "Do you seriously trust this Altmer? She's trying to convince us to leave the city, so Eldaris can invade." Helseth turned his attention away from his mother, and towards Iszel. "Your Imperial Majesty, are you truly going to trust this traitor?"

Alessia looked at Iszel and said, "I agree with the High Chancellor, your Imperial Majesty. We cannot trust an Altmer for such a major decision."

Barenziah looked suspiciously at Alessia. "Weren't you the one who suggested we bring in Camandila for help?"

Alessia looked slightly embarrassed. "I only meant for her to heal the Empress. I didn't intend for her to be made Imperial Battlemage."

Iszel looked disgusted. "For saving my life, I can't help but to think that Camandila deserves a fair chance. Helseth, ready the troops. _We're_ going to Bruma."

Iszel's last sentence stunned the other four. Barenziah, Helseth, and Camandila appeared horribly worried. "Your Imperial Majesty," Barenziah stuttered. "I strongly recommend against going to Bruma yourself. If something terrible were to happen-"

Alessia interjected, saying, "Your Imperial Majesty, I'm against going to Bruma, but if we do, you should go. If you attend, you will bring high morale to the troops. It could do wonders for our forces. You attending the battle would be a major benefit to Cyrodiil, one that could turn the tide of the battle."

Camandila eyed Alessia. "What makes you think that there's a tide to turn?"

Alessia gave Camandila a look of superiority. "The fact that you came in here, telling us to raise an army out of scratch to defend Bruma."

At that rebuke, Camandila remained quiet. "Your Imperial Majesty," Helseth said. "If you do intend to go to Bruma, I shall have an army prepared soon. Baroness Viturex and the Marquise will be sent to Cheydinhal and Skingrad, respectively. But please, going to Bruma is beyond dangerous."

Iszel shook her head. "I am going. Lady Barenziah, you told me this morning of the Battle of the Great Gate in the Oblivion Crisis. I think you said that it was Martin who led his troops to battle. If Martin had not been there, would his troops have won?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Standing outside of Emperor Herold's tent, Prince Fjorier of Dawnstar had just finished speaking with Princess Margaret. What she was trying to accomplish was something that could end the war in its early stages. If "the Dark Enchantress of White Run" as she had been called was able to convince Herold to make peace with Iszel, and yield his claim, the war could end. If Skyrim and Cyrodiil made peace, Elsweyr and Black Marsh would join with Cyrodiil. The combined armies of Cyrodiil, Skyrim, Morrowind, Hammerfell, Black Marsh, and Elsweyr would defeat even the greatest army Aleria, or Mathilda, or Eldaris could send forward.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Marie had just entered the Daggerfall Throne Room. She saw Mathilda standing, waiting for her. "What is it you require, your Imperial Majesty?" Marie asked.

Mathilda smiled. "Marie, in the city, there is an Altmer sorceress named Earana. She is…unique in her mastery of magic. She possesses magic-based communication skills that rival those of Adwin's. Pay her as much as you need to. I want you to have her send a message to our spy in Herold's camp. Have him kill Prince Fjorier of Dawnstar. Have him frame it on an assassin from Bruma. If Fjorier is killed, Herold will continue with the battle no matter what. Go, quickly!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Princess Margaret knew the time was coming. The battle was nearing. If she were to stop it, she would have to act now. Margaret walked up to Herold inside his tent and said, "Your Imperial Majesty, I have a dire concern to bring up."

Herold looked up at Margaret (as he was sitting), and said, "What is it, Margaret? It is time for us to attack."

Margaret took a deep breath and said, "Cyrodiil has a claimant. Her name is Iszel Septim, and she is the rightful heir to the Empire, despite the fact she is only seventeen. I implore you to throw down your arms, and make peace, swear an oath fealty. If we act now we can defeat-"

Herold interrupted, "Iszel Septim, you say? This young girl is a Septim. If that is the case, I feel I have no choice but to yield my claim. This is what is right, so-"

A shout was heard from outside. "PRINCE FJORIER HAS BEEN MURDERED!" Margaret recognized the voice of Prince Haening. Herold stood up, and quickly ran outside, followed by Princess Margaret. She knew this could only be trouble.

When Margaret caught up to Herold, she saw Fjorier's body. "It's true." she quietly said. She began to shed a tear, but quickly wiped it from her eyes. She hadn't shed tears in a very long time.

Herold stared at Fjorier's lifeless body, disgusted that one so young would be murdered. Herold's face darkened as he began to question the witnesses. "What's happened to Fjorier!" Herold roared. Margaret had known Herold loathed underhanded tactics such as murder and assassination. There was no honor in killing your enemy when he wasn't ready, according to him.

After moments of silence, Margaret saw Prince Haening of Riften start to speak. "Your Imperial Majesty," he solemnly said. "It was the Imperial General who had _betrayed _the enemy. Saprius Platorious."

The rage seen in Herold's eyes was terrifying. In his rage, Herold turned towards Margaret and growled, "This rightful heir to the throne sends a false traitor to murder one so young! If I were to yield my claim to her, I would be betraying the Royal Family of Dawnstar, the people of the north, and the _Empire_ of Skyrim. We march on Bruma now! Bring me my sword, and bring this traitor to the center of the camp!"

Margaret knew she had been thwarted by an external party. She had almost made peace, but she failed, and Prince Fjorier was dead because of it. Margaret began to follow Herold, who was apparently walking to the center of the camp.

When Herold, Margaret, and those who had followed them arrived at the center of the camp, General Platorious was already there, held at sword point on his knees. The General was an Imperial in his early fifties, and old age had begun to set in.

As the General kneeled there, one of the Nords handed Herold his sword, the icy blade of Winters Might. He began to call out to the Nords in the camp. "People of Skyrim," he called. His roar was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the camp. "We have been betrayed! The man we know as General Saprius Platorious, the traitor from Cyrodiil, as killed both Prince Fjorier of Dawnstar and our beloved steward, Vilfred."

When Margaret heard this, she quickly spoke up. Yelling as loud as Herold, she cried, "No, Your Imperial Majesty! Vilfred wasn't murdered, I looked into it! He was old, and-"

Herold slapped Margaret in the face. Margaret's pale skin turned red in an instant. She began to rub it. "Silence! You will speak only when spoken to. This treacherous man has pretended to betray his Empress and join with us, only so he could kill two of our strongest supporters!"

General Platorious looked aghast. "Your Imperial Majesty, please…I did no such thing. I-"

"And now to end this foolish liars life." Herold said, as he lifted Winters Might, and, with a singular, powerful thrust, chopped off General Platorious's head. The army began to cheer, as Margaret became increasingly outraged. "We now will march to Bruma, and claim what is rightfully ours! We will use the power of winter and we will conquer Tamriel!"

And there was much rejoicing.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Allian had stood upon the north wall for over an hour now. The Nordic army had not come yet, and every extra moment only added to the tenseness of the men. As it grew closer to darkness, the cold grew stronger, and the men became more fearful. The hail that had begun to form did not help.

As the sun set, Allian made out the first signs of the enemy army. He saw lit torches, and he saw thousands of men approaching. It was then Jesan Carvain began to speak to his men.

"People of Bruma." he shouted, facing the men. "Tonight begins the most ferocious siege Bruma has seen in over a century. Ten thousand Nords, your own kin and kind, march upon this city, ready, willing, and able to slaughter every one of us. I, for one, will not allow this to happen. These Nords are tired and poorly equipped. With our combined efforts, we will be able to overcome this threat. Bruma has stood strong in the past, and it shall stand strong again! We shall-"

The first Nordic arrow had fired, and had hit Jesan in the back. As his body became cold and fell over a hundred feet to the ground, Allian loaded his bow and began to fire upon the enemy. His first shot had hit one of the enemy Nords in the leg, but Allian did not have the time to look. "Men, load your bows!" he shouted.

The few archers in Herold's army began firing at random atop of the wall. Allian saw that only a few of their shots were hitting the defense, and even fewer were fatal. Allian quickly loaded his second shot, and aimed carefully at one of the archers. Releasing the string of the bow, the arrow flew straight into the archers throat.

As arrows continued to rain upon the defense, their numbers slowly began to dwindle. One of the men defending the city had run out of arrows, and quickly ran inside the guard tower. Allian was glad the men knew how to follow Livia's orders. Quickly glimpsing, Allian had seen him take out a sword and wait behind the North Gate.

Allian still had well over a hundred arrows remaining and continued firing. His shots were accurate, and most of them hit enemy men. Allian saw that the enemy kept charging, but seemed to do little damage. They had not used a battering ram, and they had tried chopping the North Gate. Allian didn't understand what this was supposed to do.

Allian loaded another arrow, and aimed at one of the men attacking the gate, piercing his right shoulder. Allian noticed that few of the men at the North Gate still had arrows. Quickly looking around, he saw that only a dozen of the defensemen had been killed by the rain of arrows.

As he began to run out of arrows, Allian noticed that the Nords were making almost no attempt to break down the gate.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

At the East Gate, Clecentor Carvain was leading a successful defense against the Nords. Unsurprisingly, a large contingent of their army had moved to attack the East Gate. His men had been successfully firing down arrows upon the barbaric would be invaders. He felt as if it were that they were waiting for them to run out of arrows…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Margaret was waiting towards the back of the army for the signal. Her face had still hurt from the slap the Emperor had given her. Margaret would never have expected Herold to do anything like that to anyone, especially a Crown Princess.

Margaret reluctantly waited to do the one thing she had been assigned to do in this battle. She would break open the Bruma Gates.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Allian had just fired his last arrow and ran into the guard tower. He had almost reached the ground again, and would take command of the men. He was one of the last who had fired, and the stragglers would be down in moments-whether they walked or fell.

Allian took out his sword, and stood behind the other men. "Men of Bruma!" he said. "It is likely the enemy will now try to use a battering ram to break through our gates. When they do, prepare to fight. If we fail, our families will all be slaughtered to the last member. You will hold your ground."

As Allian said that, he saw a fire being lit outside the city. Less than a moment later, he heard a loud, thunderous roar. After a second, he realized that someone had cast a spell. He heard it hit the North Gate.

Allian was relieved, as the North Gate appeared to have survived the spell. He was glad that Bruma had such a reliable structure and foundation. Even a powerful spell like that would not break the gate.

Than he saw the gate collapse. The gate, which had once stood stall and strong, instantly disintegrated into a pile of rubble. The Nords could now charge into the city. And that's what they did.

Allian could only stare in horror as hundreds of Nords began to charge. Allian had half expected the men to run for their lives, but instead they held their ground. He could not help but to have the deepest respect for the relentless nature of the Nordic people, friend and foe.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Livia, Lucan, Calvus, and Bram were inside the Chapel. They had all heard the roar at the North Gate, and were afraid of what could have happened. Only minutes after the roar, a guard ran in.

"The North Gate has fallen!" he shouted.

Livia swore under her breath. With the gate fallen, the garrison was in trouble. They were all brave and well equipped, but that would not enable them to defeat an army ten times its size. "Thank you for the update." she courteously said to the guard before he returned to his post. Turning her attention to the others, she said, "Gentleman, with the North Gate fallen, it is very likely that the city will be overrun. With Castle Bruma sealed off, we have no contact with the Countess, and must make the decisions ourselves. If we are to survive, we must be clever, and we must act quickly, or face annihilation."

Calvus looked at Livia and said, "Mother, I had a thought. Aunt Catia will not want to be taken hostage, and she hates this city. Do you think that she might destroy the city rather than let it fall?"

Livia had not thought of that. Catia would never want herself, or anyone else for that matter, taken alive. She had also always hated the city. The only thing Catia had to do to burn it down was find the right ingredients in the castle basement, and the city would burn to the ground.

"It is possible." Livia said. "But that is not important. We have to determine a way for the city to survive. If we act quickly-"

Livia never finished her sentence, as another roar had been heard. The East Gate had been breeched.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Clecentor Carvain had been mortally wounded in the explosion at the East Gate, and knew he did not have long to go. Two of his men had dragged him away from the oncoming enemy, but he knew he did not have long. He called over Aunius, his nephew.

"Aunius," he said to. "I'm going to die. I want you to take over this post." Clecentor did not like handing the position over to Aunius. Aunius was pigheaded, easily amused, and was very full of himself. Clecentor feared that under Aunius's control, the garrison would be slaughtered.

Aunius only nodded. Aunius was tall, blond, and very strong. And very battle eager. As his uncle died, he charged into battle with Nords.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Allian swung his sword at one of the charging Nords, fatally slashing him across the chest. They had just kept coming. After the explosion that took out the gate, it seemed as if they were endless in there numbers.

The explosion did nothing to help. When the gate had been hit by the spell, over a third of his garrison had been killed by the falling debris, and many more had been injured. Allian had tried to remain optimistic, but knew that they would be overwhelmed.

As a Nord charged at him, he lifted his claymore and stabbed him in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. Allian left him there (as he was probably dying, or if he wasn't, he was definitely unable to fight and could be captured later), and entered combat with a well-armored Nord, possibly a lord or prince.

Wearing seemingly enchanted glass armor, the Nord lifted a large, gargantuan, Daedric axe. Far more powerful than Allian's Elven claymore, this Nord swung his axe at Allian. Allian, barely able to duck, was hit in the arm, causing him to bleed. Not being able to tend to his wounds, Allian swung at the Nord. His blade did not penetrate the glass armor, and the force of impact knocked Allian to the ground, lying on his back. Before Allian could act, the Nord lifted his axe to swing at Allian. As the axe came down, Allian lifted his claymore to block the axe.

When the axe hit the claymore, the claymore shattered into hundreds of pieces. The Nord had been stunned by the force of the block. Taking this opportunity, Allian flipped himself over and began to crawl away.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Prince Hrargal of Falkrenth had just shattered the Imperial's claymore. He saw the Imperial trying to get away, and he would not allow that to happen. Hrargal walked up to the crawling Imperial, and lifted his axe.

Hearing Hrargal behind him, the Imperial rolled over as Hrargal swung down at him. Hrargal's Daedric axe hit the ground, and the Imperial kicked Hrargal in the leg. The force of the kick knocked Hrargal down, and his axe fell from his hands.

Before Hrargal could get up, the Imperial picked up the axe and began swinging it at him repeatedly. As the axe pierced his glass armor, he died a quick but painful death.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Olana Nepia, Knight of the Imperial Dragon and General of the Imperial Legion, sat in her office at Castle Skingrad. Olana was one of the highest ranked legion officials in Cyrodiil, and was commander of all legion forces in Colovia. As Skingrad was the largest, wealthiest, and most powerful of the Colovian cities, it had traditionally served as the command base of Colovia.

Olana had been promoted to the position after her predecessor, General Itius, had retired after over fifty years of service to the Imperial Legion. As General of Colovia, Olana possessed a great level of authority, only outranked by the Counts and Countesses of the various cities, specifically Janus Hassildor, the unofficial leader of Colovia.

Many people accused Olana of getting the promotion only because of her last name. The Nepia Family was old and powerful, although it had only recently been made nobility, after the display of courage Arthax Nepia had displayed in a war between Cyrodiil and the Duchess of Arenthia in Valenwood. Her older, and only sister, Ruma, had become Lady Nepia after his death, and lived only a short distance away from Skingrad, although she had gone to the Imperial City recently to meet the new Empress.

Since Count Hassildor was rarely seen in public (actually, he was rarely seen at all), Marcus Valga of Chorrol would usually act in his stead. Now that Marcus was dead, and both Miranda Umbranox of Anvil and Valin Matinus of Kvatch were both missing, Olana would be the leader of Colovia, unless Count Hassildor was to intervene, until the Valgas had a new Count or Countess. Since Count Hassildor rarely intervened in anything, this left a large amount of responsibility upon Olana.

Olana had been sitting in her office for the past several hours. She had heard reports of the war, but nothing that affected her. She knew of no battles involving the defense or offense of Cyrodiil, and had not needed to mobilize an army.

As Olana prepared to leave the office, a man ran into the room. He was a middle-aged man, and a member of the Imperial Legion. "General Nepia," he said. "Her Eminence, the Marquise Cristina Axia, would like to have word with you immediately."

Olana didn't have a much of a choice. The Marquise was more powerful than even Count Hassildor, and denying her a meeting could be viewed as treason. "Send her in." Olana simply said.

The man left the room, and a moment later, the Marquise entered with her bodyguard. Walking slowly and regally into the room, the Marquise said, "General Nepia, I bring the word of the Empress, and I am afraid I have some unfortunate news."

Olana knew that something had happened to her sister. "Precede, Your Eminence."

The Marquise took a breath and said, "I am afraid that your sister has been killed. Before you ask, I will simply tell you that she was crushed by a piece of falling rock after a failed assassination attempt on Her Imperial Majesty."

Olana frowned, and said, "Thank you for informing me, Your Eminence. If that is all-"

The Marquise interjected. "Sadly, it is not. The city of Bruma has fallen under siege by the Nords of Skyrim, and is in desperate need of aid. We believe that Countess Carvain had sent messengers, messengers who were intercepted. We need you to rally as many troops from Colovia as you possibly can."

Olana was shocked. Why the Marquise would waste time informing her of her sisters death when there was a major threat to the Empire astounded her. "Your Eminence, I will have as many troops as possible on their way to Chorrol as a rendezvous point as soon as possible."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Celeta Carvain, the daughter of Catia, sat in the Great Hall of Castle Bruma, and had been sitting there for hours. Like everyone else in the city, she had heard the two thunderous roars that had hit the city, and had known the gates had been breeched.

Celeta could only hope her brother was okay. The two siblings had been _very, very_ close since she was thirteen, and they had deep concern for each other. When her mother had forced her to abort her three pregnancies, Aunius had stood up to her, as he knew Celeta wanted to keep the children. Catia, however, did not want to have a shameful daughter, and refused.

Like her brother, Celeta had long golden hair, and beautiful blue eyes. Unlike her brother, she had a very well developed figure, and was very slender otherwise. Also unlike her brother, Celeta was very lazy and did very little, if anything. Never left Castle Bruma (unless, of course, she was shopping), never helped people, and was never productive.

Celeta, like the rest of her family, was afraid of what was coming. She was afraid that when the Nords stormed the Castle, her brother would be killed. She was afraid her newest baby would be killed. She was afraid she would be killed.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Eloe Carvain (née Valga) was shaking. For one, it was cold, as it always was. But the real reason she was shaking was because of fear. Like everyone else in Bruma, she had heard the gates collapse. She feared for the life of her husband. She feared for her own life. But most importantly, she feared for the life of their unborn child.

She had just learned of the child earlier that day, and had not yet told her husband. She was afraid he would never know. The fear of being killed…

Eloe had not been required to stay. The Countess held no power over Eloe, and Eloe did not need to listen to her. Eloe had chosen to stay, leaving Jena, Wariel, and her nephew Carody with the Valgas.

Eloe did not know what would happen. It was likely that the Nordic Host would attempt to break into the Castle. If that were to happen, she knew everyone would be put to the sword. Everyone would die.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Aunius Carvain lifted his blade, chopping the head of one of the Nordic scum off. The battle had been intense and difficult for him, despite the fact he had killed dozens of Nords. Although he had been powerful and dangerous to the Nords the entire time, he was growing tired and worried for his sister.

A Nord charged towards him, and Aunius stabbed him in the chest. The blade pierced the Nords armor, and the Nord crumbled to the ground. For showmanship, and for his own amusement, Aunius beheaded the Nord. He gave a chuckle, and found one of the other Nords, only to kill him.

With his command over the remains of the East Gate, Aunius had seen the death of hundreds, possibly thousands of the Nords. Their poor equipment and lack of training had been there downfall. Even with better armor and more training, Aunius knew he could have killed most of them.

Aunius continued to battle with the Nords, and continued killing them.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Princess Margaret had entered the battle at the former East Gate. It had been she who brought down both gates. Her frost spells were known for their deadliness and power.

Now, she was nearly drained of Magicka. Those spells were tiring, and they had weakened her. She could do little more than a basic frost ball.

It was a good thing she was proficient with a blade. Princess Margaret, as a very important member of the Royal House of Whiterun, had been trained with the blade from a young age, and wielded a mithril short sword. Due to her wealth and power, Princess Margaret also wore mithril armor.

Guarded by two hulking Nords, Margaret walked through the battlefield, stabbing and swinging at her enemies when she could. Seeing the death and carnage, Margaret knew that she could have avoided this. If only _he _hadn't interfered, everything would have worked. The Empire would have been reunited, and Iszel would have been Empress.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Livia had known the Nords were triumphing. The Gates had fallen, and they were seeping into the city. They needed to do something quickly, or they would all die.

Lucan and Calvus were standing there, pondering the very same thing. Acting Brigadier General Bram had left to join the battle itself. After minutes of standing there in silence, Livia finally said, "We need a plan, and we need one quickly."

Lucan and Calvus nodded. "We're outnumbered, and they've gotten through the gates. According to our last report, we've lost a good sixty percent of our forces. If we stay out here, we're going to be killed." Lucan said.

"I understand that." Livia said. "But that's our only option. We can't escape from the city. We have to stand and fight."

The three remained quiet for a moment. Lucan looked as if he had an idea, and started to speak. "We do have one other option. It would be disobeying our orders, but we have one other option."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Catia Carvain was looking around the Great Hall of Castle Bruma. She realized a long time ago that she was almost the only one in there with any backbone. They were all cowards and wimps. Allowing themselves to be slaughtered by the Nords.

Catia wouldn't allow that. No, no, no. She would destroy the city before that could happen. It wasn't as if Cyrodiil was losing anything. The only thing she was going to destroy was cold, icy, unpleasant Bruma.

She looked at every one of them individually. Pathetic, all of them. Flaenia was pacing around, biting her nails. "How very regal of you, Flaenia." Catia said to herself, mocking her imperious sister.

She turned towards her licentious excuse for a daughter. She saw Celeta sitting in the corner, too lazy to do anything. She also saw her rubbing her stomach, and Catia began to wonder if she was pregnant again. However, she didn't care, because they were all going to die anyway.

Turning again, she saw Eloe. Catia hated Eloe almost as much as she hated her mother. Eloe was a coward and a pushover. She had not freewill of her own, and obeyed every command she heard. Catia hated her for lacking a spine.

Catia looked at her mother. The woman that ruined her life. Unlike the others, Narina had remained regal and dignified. All the more reason to hate her. Catia was glad that this city would burn, glad to see that her mother would suffer and die. That was what Catia was gaining most out of this experience. A dead mother.

Catia began to walk to the alchemical cellars in the basement, looking for ingredients that would make a big explosion.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Iszel and her host had met with the army of Nibenay, commanded by General Avellan Vivio. The army of Nibenay under normal circumstances would have been larger, according to General Vivio. However, with the short notice, only four thousand troops had been rallied. Meeting in between Bruma and Cheydinhal at the Inn of Winter's Will, they were only twenty miles from Bruma.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Allian had been fighting off the Nords. They were becoming increasingly difficult to deal with. With the broken gates, the Nords had been successfully been able to breach most of this part of the city.

With the few men Allian had left, he had been doing his best to defend the North Gate. However, he feared now more than even that Bruma would fall. The population would be put to the sword, and Cyrodiil would have been invaded.

As Allian stabbed one of the Nords, he saw Lucan charge into the battle, carrying a dwarven bow. He fired at one of the Nords, and it pierced his skull. "Allian!" he cried.

Allian ran over to Lucan, decapitating a Nord on the way. "Lucan. What is it? Has there been a change in plans?" Allian asked hopefully, knowing that this battle plan was no longer working.

Lucan nodded. "Yes. We're unsealing Castle Bruma."

Allian was surprised. "Wasn't it our orders to keep the castle sealed at all costs?" Allian asked, confused at the disobedience.

Lucan nodded again. "We're disobeying the orders, otherwise we'll all die. We're calling for a full retreat in five minutes. We'll do battle in the courtyard, under the protection of the walls of Castle Bruma."

Lucan returned to the Chapel.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Livia Carvain looked at the Chapel for what may have been the last time. The Nords could be savage, and Livia feared they would burn even the Chapel to the ground. Livia only wished that things had turned out differently, and that Bruma had prevailed. She left the Chapel, and began walking to Castle Bruma.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Olana Nepia and her army had traveled to the Imperial City, hoping to meet the Empress and her host. Upon arrival, she learned she was too late, and immediately commanded her men to continue north to Bruma. She was afraid they would be too late.

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The surviving members of the army of Bruma had retreated to Castle Bruma, where they had forced themselves through the barriers, and prepared for the upcoming attack. They had been reduced to only slightly more than a hundred, while the Nords still had six thousand.

Catia Carvain heard the barriers break, and looked out the windows of Castle Carvain to see their army retreat. She knew now more than ever she was doing everyone a favor by blowing up the castle. If she were lucky, she'd take out Herold in the process.

Outside, in the courtyard, she saw Livia giving a motivational speech. Catia scoffed at the idea (partially because she was depressing, and partially because she was blowing them up anyway). "Shut up, Livia." she said, knowing that Livia would not hear her.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Herold had entered the battlefield. Next to him was Princess Margaret on one side, and Prince Haening on the other. They were in the middle of the charging Nord host, which was about to descend upon the weakened army of Bruma. Victory was in plain sight.

Upon arriving at gate to castle, Herold was upset to see that the barriers had been put back up. However, he knew there was no problem. "Margaret." he said.

"Yes." she replied, depressingly, as usual.

"I need that barrier down now." Herold commanded.

"Yes, your Imperial Majesty." she said. Margaret had not known what had come over Herold. When they had first met, he was friendly, fun, charming, and polite. Now…he was becoming increasingly like Farwyn Willows. Margaret muttered an enchantment, "Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen." As she said those words, the weakened barriers collapsed, and began to fall upon the army of Bruma.

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Her Serene Ladyship, Countess Narina Carvain sat upon her throne in the Castle Bruma Throne Room. She was angry. She had specifically told her daughter not to unseal the barriers, and now, they were being attacked. The Castle itself would soon fall to invasion.

Narina looked around for her daughter Catia. Narina knew that it was a priority to make sure Catia was checked on. Catia would not allow Castle Bruma to be taken, and knew that Catia would rather see it destroyed.

When she did not see Catia, Narina knew that Catia had gone to find a powder to destroy the Castle. "Catia you idiot." she muttered to herself. "Flaenia, come here." Flaenia, Narina's youngest daughter, walked over to her mother. "I need you to find your older sister Catia. I'm afraid she's going to do something very stupid. Bring her to me now. And be careful"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Princess Margaret was fighting her way through the battle, at her Emperor's side. Near her was Prince Haening, also fighting. Herold was trying to force his way to the Castle Gate. If he were to get inside Castle Bruma itself, he could capture the Countess, and the battle would end.

As she stabbed one of the surviving Imperial soldiers, she realized how much strife Winter's Will would bring. She knew that it was no ordinary diamond, and knew that her Emperor was underestimating it's power. If only Fjorier hadn't died, this battle would have been avoided.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Flaenia Carvain had found her sister, and her worst fears (and her mother's worst fears) had come true. Flaenia saw Catia attempting to find a combustible powder. "Catia!" she said.

Catia did not answer. Instead, she ran up to her sister, and started strangling her. Flaenia couldn't fight her off. "You think you can stop me! I'll show this whole city just what I'm capable of, and I'll kill you, and mother, and my own children, and I'll be proud. This entire family is nothing but a disgrace, and now I'll finish it off once and for all."

Catia let Flaenia's lifeless corpse fall to the ground, and continued searching.

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Emperor Herold I of Skyrim, Emperor of the Nords, entered Castle Carvain with Princess Margaret and Prince Haening at either side. Wielding Winters Might, Herold marched up to the throne of Countess Narina Carvain.

Her guards started to charge at Herold, but Countess Carvain, said, "Do not attack. Herold of Skyrim, _High King_ of Winter Hold. What brings you to Bruma? Especially with such an army to kill hundreds of my citizens!"

Eloe looked nervous, fearful for her own life, and fearful for the life of her unborn child. Celeta was biting her nails, and noticed that Haening was giving her a look. She was afraid for the worst.

Herold bluntly said, "Countess Carvain, you are in possession of a valuable treasure which is rightfully mine. Hand over Winter's Will, and the rest of your city shall be spared."

Countess Carvain was overcome with horror. "Herold, are you crazy? Do you have any idea how dangerous Winter's Will is?"

"Hand it over, Narina, or face the consequences." Herold ordered.

"Listen to me Herold! That is no ordinary gem. I know why you want it, we have all heard the legends but-" Countess Carvain never finished her sentence. Herold had run up to her, and stabbed her through the stomach. She fell to the ground, mortally wounded.

Countess Carvain did not scream. She gasped, but refused to show pain. However, Celeta Carvain screamed very loudly. Before anything else could happen, hundreds of soldiers began charging into the Castle. However, many of them were not Nords. They wore Septim armor.

Fighting began as more Nords charged into the room. Countess Carvain lay in front of her throne, seemingly forgotten. Celeta Carvain ran for her life, running away from the room.

Aunius Carvain charged into the room, and instantly decapitated Prince Allding of Windhelm. After this bloody decapitation, he fought his way through the crowd. He was going to protect his sister.

Allian Carvain entered to begin to do battle with three or four Nordic warriors. He was better equipped and better trained. They were no march for him.

Livia Carvain had not entered, and instead stayed outside, and had went to the Chapel. Her son Calvus had entered, however, and had charged into the fray. He began helping Allian in battle.

As Lucan Carvain entered, he saw the unthinkable. His wife's head was chopped off right before him by Prince Haening of Riften. Eloe Carvain nee Valga had been killed, and Lucan would never know of his unborn child.

Iszel Septim and Helseth Hlaalu entered the battle, but did not fight. Instead, they ran towards the dying Countess, in hopes of extracting information. However, as they arrived at her body, Herold ripped off a necklace from her throat. "Margaret," he said. "Time to go."

Princess Margaret looked as if she were to move the very world itself. However, she did not. Instead, the entire Nordic army was teleported out of Castle Bruma, and onto the streets.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Livia Carvain was pleased to find that the Chapel had not been destroyed. However, she was shocked when she saw the Nordic army fleeing Bruma. Glad, but surprised. She decided it would be best if she go back to the Castle.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Aunius Carvain had found his sister, with his mother. Catia was beating Celeta. Aunius charged at his mother, and pushed her off Celeta.

As Catia stumbled back, she did not see that she was about the fall out of a two-story window. "Aunius!" Celeta cried. "My hero. That witch was trying to kill us all, and I found her, and she told be she killed Aunt Flaenia. And then I told her I was pregnant again-"

Aunius interrupted, "You're pregnant again?"

"Yes." Celeta said. "That's why she was beating me. You saved me again!" Celeta kissed her brother. And he kissed back. "And now that she's dead we'll finally be parents."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Countess Carvain was surrounded by Iszel, Helseth, Allian, Lucan, Calvus, Livia, and a grieving Lucan. Her time was short, and she was beyond help. Countess Carvain said, "Livia, follow in my footsteps. Bring this city back to glory."

Livia nodded, and Helseth said, "Countess, Herold ripped a diamond off your neck before he fled. What is the significance of this diamond?"

Countess Carvain said, "The diamond is Winter's Will. It is-"

Countess Narina Carvain let out a scream of pain. It was not the wound that was bothering her however. She had been hit with a fireball from the back of the room, and had died.

"Bravo, your…ahem…Imperial Majesty." said the figure who threw the fireball. As gasps and screams began to fill the room, everyone turned around and saw this figure.

It was Eldaris.

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Finally, I've finished this awful chapter. I didn't particularly like it, and I thought that the end was getting sloppy, but I wanted to get this over with. So, what did everyone thing of the huge battle of Bruma? **And what does everyone think is going to happen now.**

And sorry for the two months without an update. I'm writing a novel, and I've started working on that a lot more than I used to (and although I'm proud of myself for that, it means I'll be doing less fan fiction).

And, in case anyone is getting confused with characters, there is a link on my profile page (under homepage) which will take you to my very own (and likely unnecessary) Crown Game Series PB Wiki.

That's all for this chapter. Remember the previous questions, and if you have changed your mind, please tell me. I'll try to update soon.

Necromancer and Sorcerer


	12. 11: Complications in Morrowind

Chapter 11: Complications in Morrowind

"Congratulations on defending Bruma. Seeing the Nords being forced to retreat always brings me delight." Eldaris laughed sinisterly. Why was he there?

"Eldaris." Helseth growled.

Eldaris rolled his eyes. "Calm down, Helseth. I'm afraid we have a common enemy right now, and I thought I'd lend my support."

The room had become darker, and those in attendance were cowering in fear. It was well known that Eldaris was powerful, and was feared for it. Many of the people were cowering, inching their way to a door.

"Why is everyone so tense? You won the battle, remember?" Eldaris said snidely. No one would speak, out of fear.

"You killed Countess Carvain." cried Iszel. Iszel had been terrified by the horrible death the Countess suffered, but she refused to show it.

"And what do you care? You didn't even know her." Eldaris responded. "Besides, I killed her to put her out of her misery. She was dying, and suffering. I thought it was fair to let her die quickly, rather than a long, painful death."

Iszel didn't believe a word of what he said. Even Iszel had heard of Eldaris before she discovered his claim, and knew of his reputation as a brutal, vicious tyrant. He had been dubbed the most feared leader of the south, and even the other Altmer kings feared him. They feared he would usurp their power, and gather more for himself.

"Eldaris, leave at once." Helseth ordered. He knew Eldaris would not listen, but he would make his stance clear.

"Helseth, listen the first time. Calm down. We have a common problem, and I need your help in solving it." Eldaris said.

Helseth grew angry. "Do you think I'll believe a word of that-"

Iszel interrupted him. "Calm down, Helseth. What do you want Eldaris?"

Eldaris smiled. "Herold may have lost the battle, but he got what he wanted. Countess Carvain wore a diamond necklace, one by the name of Winter's Will. Let me assure you now, that it is now ordinary diamond. In fact, it's not a diamond at all. It's ice, and it had been frozen so long, it became a diamond. However, that's not why it's important. Winter's Will has the power to reactivate the Crown of Winter."

Livia Carvain gasped. "You're not serious, are you?" Livia said skeptically. "The Crown of Winter's power is a myth, a legend, a story, a fairy tale. If you honestly think it has power-"

"It has power." Eldaris interrupted. "In fact, it has more power than you can imagine. I know because during its time of power, I ruled Skyrim, along with the rest of Tamriel. I was the one who separated the Crown from Winter's Will. Don't argue with your elders, child." Livia flinched. She hadn't been called child in well over sixty years.

The room was silent. It was known Eldaris was old, but not that old. Skyrim had not been under elvish control since the Merethic Era. It had been Eldaris who had broken the human power base on Tamriel.

"You're saying that you're responsible for thousands of years worth of elvish rule." Iszel said, and Eldaris nodded.

"What can I say," he said. "I am amazing. However, that's not important. If Herold is able to reunite Winter's Will with the Crown of Winter, it will be very, very cold for the next few thousand years."

Helseth stood silently, as did Iszel. What were they to do? Lead a quick, ragtag army into the freezing colds of Skyrim to stop Herold. It was ridiculous to even think of such a notion.

"What do you expect us to do about it, Eldaris?" Helseth finally asked.

Eldaris rolled his eyes. "I want you to lead a quick, ragtag army into the freezing colds of Skyrim to stop Herold. It's so brilliant, that only an idiot would think it was ridiculous notion. That means you, Helseth. I'd help, but sadly, I'm on the other side of the continent. Good luck stopping Herold, you're going to need it."

As Eldaris looked as he was going to disappear, Helseth yelled, "Just a moment, Eldaris. What makes you think we're going to freeze in Skyrim?"

Eldaris once again rolled his eyes. "Quite frankly, I think it may have something to do with the fact that if you don't, we'll all freeze to death, even in Alinor." Before anyone else could raise an objection, Eldaris disappeared.

"Your Imperial Majesty," Countess Livia said. "I believe it's your decision."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Eldaris was in the throne room of Alinor. He had never left, as teleportation was much more tiring than his illusions. Quickly, he recast the illusion, this time appearing in Winter Hold.

"Mercator," he said to an Imperial warmly dressed in black robes in the frozen paradise. "Excellent work. I especially admire the use of the beggar. Very clever. Herold is returning, and I want you to make sure everything's in order."

The Imperial nodded, and said, "Thank you, your Imperial Majesty. I will see to it that your plan works, and that there will be a battle here in Winter Hold. One with an interesting ending."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Royal Palace of Mournhold was an amazing sight to behold. The maroon decoration, the flora, and the sheer historical value of the Palace. Little known to those inhabiting it, today would bring another remarkable historical event.

With the absence of King Helseth Hlaalu and Queen Mother Barenziah, the Palace was being cared for by Queen Consort Dinara, Queen of Morrowind, and Queen Consort Morgiah Karoodil née Hlaalu, the unofficial Queen Consort of the Altmer Kingdom of Firsthold, known in Morrowind as Muthsera Hlaalu Morgiah. Both were gifted women, despite the fact that Morgiah was somewhat malicious and Dinara was somewhat idealistic.

That day, the Queen Consort and Muthsera were hosting one of the daily "celebrations" held in the Royal Palace, as hundreds of nobles lived in the city. Although these celebrations were not particularly glamorous, they were large, and everyone who was anyone was invited. As denying an invitation from the Royal Family was an insult, almost no one denied the invitation. Unless, of course, you were an Indoril, Redoran, or Temple member. However, they weren't fun, and the Royal Family only invited them to major occasions. A Telvanni would also often deny an invitation, as they were isolationists. That wasn't an issue, though, as very few Telvanni retainers lived in Almalexia, and even fewer in Mournhold itself.

Queen Consort Dinara was in the throne room with her daughters, Princess Madsea and Princess Antama, as well as a host of Hlaalu and Dres noblewomen, drinking tea (or the equivalent of tea on the world of Nirn). Also with them was Telvanni Countess Olvesa Othan, a personal representative of Duke Aldnus Telvanni in the Royal Court, as well as the governess of the Princesses. Princess Madsea, at the tender age of twelve, was socializing with the highest nobility in Morrowind, fitting in perfectly. Princess Antama was sitting next to her sister, idolizing every move she made. Princess Antama practically worshipped her older sister, the _fleur de la cour_, and Princess Royal of Morrowind.

Morgiah, on the other hand, was outside with King Ralas (despite the fact he did not know he was king yet), Prince Melvor, and Prince Gorvyn. Ralas had always been an outdoorsy child, despite his medical conditions, and chronically ill physical health. Melvor had also been born for the outdoors, but he was in much better health than Ralas, and enjoyed partaking in traditional (and violent) Dunmer sports. Melvor was also the heir to the throne of Morrowind, as he was Helseth and Dinara's second child. Gorvyn was similar to Antama, as he looked up to Melvor like a hero. Morgiah was keeping an eye on Ralas, as Prince Melvor and some of the other children of noble birth were practicing their violent Dunmer sports.

Morgiah sat next to Ralas on her left, and to her right, Duke Bildam Dres, the Duke of Tear and the patriarch of House Dres. He was also the Queen Consort's great-uncle, thus making him one of the most powerful and influential members of the nobility. As Melvor and one of the children of the Count of Kithendis Falls fought, a knight clad in armor entered the room and walked over to Duke Bildam, and whispered something in his ear, and left.

The Duke appeared worried. He tapped Morgiah on the shoulder, and whispered, "Muthsera, I'm afraid I have some bad news. My spies are telling me that some Temple officials, including the High Archanon, are causing trouble. It seems to be the spark of revolution."

Morgiah swore, and said, "Very well. I'll inform the Queen. Keep the Princes safe at all costs."

Morgiah stood up, leaving the good part of Dunmer society. She had always hated being a lady in the court, as it meant that she had to practice ridiculous codes of proper manners and etiquette. She couldn't even stand to think about it.

As Morgiah entered the throne room, she saw that the Duchess of Tear, Bedene, getting up to retrieve Princess Antama a drink. Before Bedene could leave the room, Princess Madsea said, "Bedene, I'm sorry, but sit down. Aunt Morgiah, be a love, and bring my sister a drink." Countess Olvesa nodded approvingly. Duchess Bedene reluctantly sat down.

Morgiah rolled her eyes. "Madsea-" she began, but Princess Madsea interrupted.

"Your Royal Highness," corrected Madsea.

"Y_our Royal Highness_," Morgiah said snidely, "You know that is the stupidest policy of this court."

Princess Madsea laughed. "In Firsthold you outrank me. Here, you don't. I am a Daughter of Morrowind, and you are a Princess of the Blood. Do you see the distinction? I'm King Helseth's daughter, and you're a daughter of a previous King of Morrowind. Not only that, I'm Princess Royal. Understand? Now, bring my sister her water."

Morgiah hated that brat. Not only did she hate her, she hated that her little sister was going to be corrupted because of that brat. "Listen, _Your Royal Highness_, I've got more important things to do than bring your sister a drink. Understand?" she growled unpleasantly.

Princess Madsea was not satisfied. However, before she could say anything, Queen Dinara intervened. "Bedene," she said politely, "my sister-in-law has to talk to me apparently. Perhaps you would like to do her honor for her." Duchess Bedene jumped up, and Princess Madsea stormed off in anger. Princess Antama followed her sister away, and Countess Olvesa stood up to follow them.

Queen Dinara was a beauty amongst the Dunmer. Although she was well over a hundred, she looked as if she were in her twenties. Her raven hair was tied up into a bun above her head, and her face was smooth and relaxing. She stood up, and Morgiah led her to the hallway outside the throne room.

"What is it, Morgiah?" Dinara said slightly testily. Although the Queen Consort knew this could be a serious issue, the traditional celebrations had been uninterrupted for over a thousand years.

Morgiah looked at Dinara as if she were a shallow idiot. "Dinara, I just received reports that the Temple is on the verge of rebelling. Considering they'll have the support of House Indoril and House Redoran, this could be a very big problem."

"What?" Dinara said in fear.

"You heard me." Morgiah responded. "In case a rebellion does emerge, I think we should be prepared to get your children out of here."

Dinara was slightly puzzled. "How?" she asked.

Morgiah growled, "You've lived here for over a hundred years. You've convinced my brother to abolish slavery, and you have helped him consolidate his power as King of Morrowind. Did it ever occur to you that when this Palace was built, someone had the idea to build secret passages in case of…oh, I don't known, an attempted rebellion!"

Dinara said, "Oh."

Morgiah was not satisfied with a simple "oh" as an answer. She was going to have to take charge. "Here's what you have to do. In the living chambers, there is a secret passage into the courtyard. It's the one by the statue of Sotha Sil. Have the Madsea and Antama, Countess Olvesa Othan stationed there with a small detachment of Royal Guards. I'll take Melvor and Gorvyn to the passage in the dungeons, there's a passageway in cell three. You and Ralas should flee the Palace now, before they can attack. No one knows except your inner circle. In other words, only the commander of the Royal Guard, Duke and Duchess Dres, Countess Olvesa, and myself. To take Ralas out of public sight, and keep secret, we'll say that Ralas is having a medical problem of some sort."

Dinara was panicking. "Morgiah, I'm afraid for my children. Can't we just all leave now?"

"No." Morgiah ordered firmly, despite the fact that Dinara outranked her. "If all of the children leave now, there will be suspicion. Ralas is the heir to the throne, and needs to be kept safe at all costs. Can you take him away calmly?"

Dinara shook her head. "No, no, no. I'm sorry, Morgiah, but I don't want to leave four of my children behind." Dinara was on the verge of tears, afraid for the lives of her children.

Morgiah, never the sentimental type, rolled her eyes, and said, "Okay, change of plans. You'll go to the dungeon passage with Melvor and Gorvyn, and I'll get Ralas out of the Palace. Is that better?"

Dinara shrugged her shoulders and said, "Not much. I don't want Ralas to be in danger."

"I don't care about you want." Morgiah said harshly. "Ralas is in danger, and needs to be protected more than anyone else. Do you understand this?"

Dinara, with tears in her eyes, nodded, and said, "I understand, Morgiah. What should we do with the other nobles, though?"

Morgiah had not thought about that. However, she quickly and instinctively said, "Duke Bildam and Duchess Bedene should be escorted out of the Palace and sent to Tear immediately. When, and if, a revolution begins, much of the Royal Guard will stay in the Palace to defend it. From there, the other nobles will have to hope they get lucky." Dinara nodded. "Return to the festival, and I'll get everyone in their place. Excuse yourself and Duchess Dres shortly, so you can be waiting with your sons, and so she can flee the Palace. I'll get Ralas quickly, and I'll inform Olvesa and Duke Dres of the plan."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

In the Plaza of Mournhold, in-between the Temple and Palace, High Archanon Fedris Hler and a large group of Ordinators and Temple Priests were rallying the people to their cause.

The High Archanon stood by the Temple Gate, as hundreds of people looked upon him making this decree. "People of Almalexia and Mournhold, we shall stand strong and rise up against our fascist oppressors. Too long have Helseth and Dinara ruled in their tyranny, taking away our every tradition!" the High Archanon cried. The people of Almalexia and Mournhold responded with thunderous applauds. "Too long has it been that the Dunmer, greatest of all races, between treated as second class citizens by the Imperials." Another round of thunderous applauds from the crowds. However, this one drew the attention of the Royal Guard on the opposite end of the Plaza, who was growing suspicious. "Too long has our homeland been ruled by these outlander swine. And now I bring to you our savior, our hero, our Emperor. Vivec, the God-Emperor!"

The crowds, numbering in the thousands, were stunned. No one, aside from high ranked Temple Officials, had seen a member of the Tribunal in over a century. The Royal Guard grew nervous, and began to send for reinforcements.

Vivec walked up in front of the High Archanon, and said, "My children, it is I, the last of the Tribunal. My fellow Gods, consumed by power, destroyed themselves in a great conflict. I, however, have survived, and am here to bring about an age of change. I will reawaken the Chimmer in all of us, as it has been reawakened in me." The crowd once again gave their thunderous applauds towards their God.

The High Archanon glanced over to the other side of the Plaza, and saw that the Royal Guard number was multiplying. Vivec continued, saying, "My people, through faith in your God, we can remove the treacherous King from power, and restore Morrowind to it's former glory. My people, today, on St. Roris Day, I have one simple command for you. Slaughter the outlanders and their allies, and bring me the Royal Family of Morrowind, so we may pass judgment upon them."

The people of Mournhold and Almalexia began to cheer, and the Royal Guard knew that there would be blood shed. The Ordinators and the Royal Guard began to charge at one another.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Queen Dinara had just returned to the throne room when one of the Royal Guard members approached her. "Your Majesty," he said to the Queen, "The Temple is rebelling."

The Queen swore under her breath. Everything had occurred too early, and nothing was going according to plan. Morgiah had not even been given time to return to the Palace Courtyard. "I want you too hold off the rebellion for as long as possible. However, first I want you too bring the Duchess of Tear to me, and than you will help me find my sister-in-law."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Morgiah could here the rioting city from within the courtyard. She had arrived as the rioting began to grab hold of the Princes and the Duke of Tear. Fortunately, she had been successful in that aspect. However, she had not anticipated the chaos and uncertainty of the nobles. Respected, educated members of the Royal Court were screaming and hitting each other to find a way out of the Palace.

"Muthsera," the Duke said as the five were evading the panicking nobles. "What do you plan to do?"

Morgiah dodged one of the falling nobles, and said, "You and your wife are being escorted back to Tear by a small detachment of the Royal Guard. Melvor and Gorvyn are escaping with their mother, and Madsea and Antama…" Morgiah had no way to get into contact with the Princesses. She presumed that she would have to allow Madsea and Antama captured, and hope that Countess Olvesa would take care of them. "They'll be fine." she said unsympathetically. She never liked Madsea anyway.

"Muthsera," the Duke said, "What of my children?"

Morgiah pushed one of the minor nobles out of the way, and said, "They have to stay here. You and your wife are going in a small carriage, with a small escort. You're being taken out of the Palace discreetly. Anymore people than that would draw too much attention."

Morgiah found one of the doors into the Palace and went in quickly, with the others right behind her. She made a left, running as fast as she could. She didn't know whether to go to the throne room or the dungeons. As she was pondering it, she looked behind her and noticed that the others had fallen behind. She paused for a moment to let them catch up.

When the Duke caught up, he cried, "Muthsera, you want me to leave my children? I can't do that!"

Morgiah insensitively turned to him, and responded, "I don't care what you can and can't do. You and your wife are leaving without your children. From what I can tell, this rebellion isn't particularly violent." Morgiah lied to calm the Duke down, hoping it would work.

Before the Duke could respond, a wounded Royal Guard approached them, and gasped, "Muthsera, Your Highnesses, Your Grace, I have terrible news. In the Plaza Brindisi Dorom, the Royal Guard is being massacred. Hundreds are already dead. The fall of the Palace is eminent. Escape quickly, they want to see the Royal Family captured, and they want to kill many nobles. Run, Muthsera. For the King!"

"Thanks." Morgiah said sarcastically. The Royal Guard was dying, and Morgiah knew there was no use trying to save him. She turned towards the Duke, and said, "Take Melvor and Gorvyn to the dungeons. If their mother's there, leave them with her, and meet me in the throne room. They know how to escape. If not, gather as many Royal Guards you can and bring them to guard the Princes. If their mother doesn't arrive in five minutes, get them out of the city and bring them to Tear."

"How?" the Duke asked.

Morgiah rolled her eyes. "Another one." she moaned. "There's a passage way in cell three, pull the torch back. Quickly." The Duke did as instructed, and he, and the younger Princes, left. "Ralas, quickly."

Morgiah started running through the usually calm halls of the Royal Palace, with Ralas drifting ever further behind. "Aunt Morgiah!" he gasped, and collapsed to the ground.

Morgiah felt as if her heart had stopped for a second. Ralas was the Crown Prince of Morrowind (except he really King of Morrowind), and if he died…Melvor would be the heir, and Madsea would be next in line. She ran back to help her nephew. "What happened!" she hissed.

Ralas was barely able to talk, and was wheezing, "I have medical problems."

Morgiah wasn't satisfied with the answer. "Great time to have them." she growled. "You have to get up quickly, or you're going to be killed. They won't take mercy on you because you're sixteen."

"I'm fifteen." Ralas panted.

"It's the same thing. They're storming the Palace to capture and kill Royals. Get up!" Morgiah ordered. As Ralas struggled getting up, Morgiah pulled him, and dragged him throughout the Palace.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Princess Madsea and Princess Antama had fled to the privacy of their room, followed by Countess Olvesa. However, even from their tower room, they could hear the rioting. Princess Madsea understood quickly that the Temple was instating a coup, yet the young Princess Antama was confused. "Countess," she said politely and quietly, "What's going on?"

Before Countess Olvesa could answer, Madsea said, "Antama, the Temple is sick of Momsie and Daddy ruling Morrowind. They think that they're ruining Dunmer Traditions." Madsea paused, and added, "And they're right! Momsie and Daddy are trying to _modernize_ Morrowind, but people are happy with the traditions."

Countess Olvesa smiled. "Princess Madsea," she said, "Are you saying you agree with the Temple?"

"Yes, I do." Madsea pouted.

The Countess continued to smile, although it grew sinister. "What would you say if I told you that the Temple would love the support of two, beautiful Daughters of Morrowind, and might want to see a new Queen of Morrowind?"

"I'd say your committing treason to the Crown. That's a capital crime." Madsea growled. She than smiled, and sweetened her tone. "But the Temple is above the Crown, and if I were to side with the Crown, I'd be committing even worse treason."

"Excellent." Countess Olvesa hissed. "The High Archanon will be proud of your decision. It's very mature of you to do the right thing at such a young age. And I'm sure you'll follow in your footsteps, right Princess Antama?"

Princess Antama became fearful of Countess Olvesa, and ran over towards her sister. However, Princess Madsea whispered, "Don't worry, Antama. When I'm Queen, I promise nothing bad will happen to Momsie or Daddy or Ralas or Melvor or Gorvyn. I might have to send them away, but we can always go visit. Maybe they'll go to Summerset Isle. Do you remember when we went to visit Aunt Morgiah and Uncle Reman in Firsthold?"

Princess Antama nodded, and whispered back, "Yes. I loved it. It was even nicer there than it is here."

Madsea patted her sister on the back. "I know, and we can go visit whenever you want when I'm Queen. We might even be able to keep Gorvyn here, and you two can play when I'm busy donating to the poor, and walking the streets amongst my people, like when Almalexia did before Daddy came to power." she said. "So, do you want to join us?"

Antama nodded, and said, "Okay, Madsea. I promise I'll be good."

Countess Olvesa smiled, and said, "If that's the case, Your Royal Majesty and Your Royal Highness, I think we should go meet with the High Archanon. I think he'll be happy to crown you."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Gates of the Palace of Mournhold were being hit by a grand battering ram, paid for by the High Archanon. The surviving Royal Guards outside the Gate had been captured, and were being taken to the Temple Dungeons to be placed on trial for crimes against God and the People of Morrowind. Inside, many of the Royal Guards had been diverted from their original plan by the Duke of Tear, who was using the Royal Guard to protect Prince Melvor and Prince Gorvyn in the dungeons.

Queen Dinara and Duchess Bedene were trying desperately to get to the Palace Dungeon. It was across the courtyard from where they had been, and they knew if they wanted to escape, they would have to dash across. Only an hour before, the Courtyard had been beautiful, lavish, and decorated masterfully. Now, it was in shambles, as panicking nobles fled for their lives.

As the Queen and Duchess began to sprint across, the Palace Gates collapsed. Rioting civilians led by High Ordinators charged in, looking to kill or arrest and Royals and nobles they could find. They were violent, and angry.

As Queen Dinara tried to run, she felt something pull at the back of her neck. She heard a cowardly yell from behind her. "I have the Queen! Please let me live. Please!" It was Bedene. She had given into fear and betrayed the Queen.

One of the leading High Ordinators looked at Bedene, and snarled, "The Queen, you say? This is very fortunate, for both the Temple, and for you. And just who are you?"

Bedene timidly answered, "I am Her Grace, Indoril Bedene Dres, Ducal Consort of Tear and niece of the Archduke of Almalexia, Adontus Indoril." The Archduke of Almalexia was a powerful Dunmer government official who served as Head of House Indoril, and the ruler of the city of Almalexia (although he still answered to the King). Although his title was Archduke of Almalexia, the Archduke was rarely in Almalexia and spent most of his time in Dragon Glade, several miles northeast of Almalexia.

Bedene usually would not have said _Indoril_ Bedene Dres, as she became a member of House Dres after her marriage. However, she was trying to buy favor with the Temple, and the name _Indoril_ greatly helped that cause. The High Ordinator said, "Ah, Your Grace, I'm glad to see you on our side. Guards, arrest the Queen and search the Palace for other Royals. Arrest anyone within the Palace."

As the Queen was about to be carried away to the Temple Dungeons, Countess Olvesa and the Princesses stepped outside. "High Ordinator Ulas," the Countess said to the High Ordinator who had ordered the Queen's arrest. "There is no need to arrest the Princesses. Princess Madsea, explain the High Ordinator what you explained to me."

"Yes, Countess." Madsea regally stated. "By siding against the Crown, I am committing treason. However, it is a greater treason to betray the Temple. For that reason, I have sided with the Temple. And my younger sister agrees with me."

Olvesa smiled at High Ordinator Ulas and said, "Our next Queen."

The High Ordinator nodded, and said, "Very well. Your Royal Majesty, I am sure the High Archanon will be glad to hear this. Countess, I presume you will take her to the Temple?"

"Of course." Olvesa said.

"Very well. Bring the Duchess Bedene as well, as she is to be put on trial. I want eight High Ordinators over here as an escort." Ulas ordered.

Duchess Bedene began to pant. "What! I thought I was on your side." she cried.

Countess Olvesa laughed. "Bedene, dear, don't worry." she said. "I'm sure that this is all a formality, and that you're not in any actual danger. But it would help if you were to tell us where the Princes are."

Duchess Bedene quickly obliged. "Of course, of course. The Muthsera and Ralas are fleeing by some unknown route. They can't have gotten too far, I suggest you search the Palace. They may be in secret passageways. Melvor and Gorvyn are in the dungeons with my husband. However, they may be escaping through a secret passageway, although I don't know where it is." she said.

Queen Dinara could handle being silent anymore. "My children will escape, and when they come back, they'll clear things up for Madsea and Antama! I swear it!" Before she could say anymore, one of the High Ordinators marched up to her, and hit her.

"Momsie!" Princess Antama cried.

Princess Madsea grew displeased at this as well. "That was unnecessary, and cruel. I want him removed from his post here, and sent somewhere else, now!" she ordered.

High Ordinator Ulas was confused on what to do. "Countess?" he asked.

"Just do it, Ulas. You have more than enough High Ordinators, and the Queen commanded it." Olvesa replied.

He nodded. "Very well. You there!" he said, yelling at the High Ordinator who had hit the Queen. "I want you to return to the barracks, and prepare to march on Old Ebonheart."

Madsea looked confused. "Marching on Old Ebonheart?" she asked. Old Ebonheart was the "Imperial Capital" of Morrowind, where most Imperial Officials lived, aside from Helseth's Imperial Advisors.

Countess Olvesa patted Madsea on the head. "Don't worry, your Majesty. We can discuss Old Ebonheart on a later date." she said.

Madsea reluctantly nodded. "To the Temple, it is." she said, as the angry mob continued to ravage the Palace of Morrowind.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Duke of Tear had followed Morgiah's instructions to the letter. He had waited five minutes, and had taken the Princes through the secret passage. He had no idea where it led to, but could only hope it led to some place safe. If it didn't, the Princes would be captured, and he would likely be killed.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Morgiah and Ralas had fled the Palace, and had been able to escape into the surrounding countryside. Morgiah was still deciding where to go, however. To the south was Hlaalu and Dres territory. However, near Narsis, the Hlaalu Capital, was Sotha Sil, and Temple Stronghold. And Tear was close to the Kithendis Falls, which, although a Dres city, had remained opposed to Helseth's policies. To the direct east was Indoril territory, which would be like asking to be arrested. Northeast was Telvanni country, and that was uncertain at best. To the far northwest was Redoran territory, which was almost as bad as Indoril territory. Besides, Redoran territory was too close to the Skyrim border to be considered safe.

The closest thing to a safe city in the west was Kragenmoor, which was only politically safe. Kragenmoor had been a crime heavy city, rivaling the Khajiit city of Senechal in crime before its reformation. If they were to go there, the Prince would be kidnapped with an hour. That left only one other option. One other place with significant Hlaalu presence, where they could stand a chance at rallying support safely, and fighting their way to a safe border.

"Aunt Morgiah," Ralas said, "Where are we going?"

Morgiah smiled. "We're going to Vvardenfell."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

And that's the end of this installment of the Crown Game. I think Bolshevik instead of Ordinator once though. Obviously, the inspiration for this chapter was the French and Russian Revolutions, and some people familiar with French history will notice that certain traditions in the Morrowind Royal Court are similar to the French Royal Court.

Although I'm being shocking indiscreet now, I'd just like to remind everyone that Olvesa is a **Telvanni**. Remember the other Telvanni character who's been introduced. Now I'm stopping myself before I tell you more.

I'd just like to remind everyone to cheer for who you support! They are gladiators in the Coliseum! Your cheers bring them momentum! CHEER! CHEER!

And is just me, or are 90 percent of the characters in this story stupid, evil, selfish, or a combination thereof? Until next time, this is Necromancer and Sorcerer.


	13. 12: A Paranoid Start

Chapter 12: A Paranoid Start

As rebellion in Morrowind unfolded, the Empress Regent of Valenwood, Aleria Willows, was in the Falinesti throne room with her remaining council, as Lord Deadwood had been brutally tossed in the dungeons. The Empress Regent sat upon the throne of Valenwood as if it were her own, despite the fact that she was by no means a close relative of the Willows Family. She was only a member of the Ducal House of Silvenar, a third cousin twice removed of the present Duke.

To her right stood Lord Redwood. Lord Redwood had been very helpful in making Valenwood understand that the Empress Regent was in charge, and anyone who disagreed was committing treason. Within a day of declaring her son Emperor, Lord Redwood had brought over three hundred suspected of treason before the Empress Regent, all of who had been found guilty.

To her left was Lady Oakenelm. Lady Oakenelm was the shortest member of the council, and was a proud supporter of the Empress Regent. When the Empress Regent returned from the Imperial City, she had been glad to learn that Lady Oakenelm had tripled the size of the Falinesti Treasury (when she had been informed, Lord Leafroot had tried to go one and explain that this increase in wealth had been due to a raise of taxes, and there had been riots throughout the Kingdom of Falinesti, but the Empress Regent didn't care and ignored him).

Directly across from her was Lady Rosebush. The Empress Regent mistrusted Rosebush, as she was minister of communications, and had access to the mail from other provinces. The Empress was afraid that Rosebush would conspire to betray her, and depose her son from the Imperial Throne of Tamriel, something that was rightfully his. The Empress Regent had decided that Lady Rosebush would have to suffer an "accident." Falinesti was a very tall tree…

Captain Thornall was patrolling the Palace of Falinesti, making sure that the Royal Guard would be in order and be able to protect the Emperor during his absence. Captain Thornall would be accompanying the Empress Regent to Woodhearth, where they would watch King Maglir and his family die for their treasons. The Empress Regent looked forward to ending the lives of that miserable wretch, and convincing Queen Ganredhel to join the winning side.

Lord Leafroot had not yet arrived at the Empress Regent's council meeting. He was the senior most member of the council, and was likely sleeping late. The Empress Regent also mistrusted Lord Leafroot, and suspected him of trying to release Lord Deadwood, on the account that "the Empress Regent had no legal authority to arrest him." The Empress Regent knew it wouldn't surprise anyone if Leafroot died in his sleep of old age. He was eight hundred years old, and of the three "pure" Mer races on Tamriel, the Bosmer lived shortest. It wouldn't be suspicious if he died in his sleep after eating some "unhealthy" bread.

"Council members," the Empress Regent said, "It is time to begin our campaign against the Kingdom of Woodhearth. I think that the first order of business, however, is to appoint a new Minister of War." At the mention of a Minister of War, Lady Rosebush slightly flinched, knowing that the Empress Regent was out to get her.

Lord Redwood nodded. "Of course, Your Respected Imperial Majesty. I've compiled a list of potential candidates, of course. Lord Deadwood, while competent, was a treasonous whelp, and deserves his fate. However, I believe it would be appropriate to appoint Captain Thornall, who has served in the Royal Guard in almost a hundred and fifty centuries, and has served the Camoran and Willows Dynasties with loyalty, leading a substantially outnumbered army against the invading forces of Summerset Isle during their occupation of much of the Kingdom of Woodhearth during the Imperial Simulacrum, and successfully closed several Oblivion Gates near Falinesti and Silvenar during the Oblivion Crisis." Lord Redwood said. He spoke with a very refined, posh accent.

Lady Rosebush posed Redwood question, asking, "How successful was his liberation of Woodhearth?"

Lord Redwood was taken back, and said, "Due to his near impossible odds, Captain Thornall was defeated in battle, trying to liberate the great city of Greenheart."

Lady Rosebush laughed, and said, "If I remember correctly, he was trying to liberate the small town of Longhaven. Your Respected Imperial Majesty, I think it's wise to reinstate Lord Deadwood. He was by no means intending to be treasonous, and he is only looking for the best interests of the Emperor, of Falinesti, and of Valenwood. He is more experienced than Thornall, and during the Altmer occupation of the Kingdom of Woodhearth, he was responsible for liberating Diss and Woodhearth itself, and rescued the Royal Family."

The Empress Regent grew angry. "Lady Rosebush," she growled, "Your words border treason. I'd watch your tongue if I were you, or you may find yourself suffering the same fate as your friend Deadwood. I don't think you want that, do you?"

Lady Rosebush cowered back. "I'm sorry, Your Respected Imperial Majesty. Please forgive my near treasons." she whimpered.

The Empress Regent did not want to forgive these treasons, but decided it would be better if Lady Rosebush "fell" from a tree, leaving less lose ends. "Very well. Consider yourself lucky." Aleria hissed. "However, I agree with you, Redwood, and I shall appoint Thornall my new Minister of War."

Lady Rosebush bowed her head, and said, "Oh thank you, Your Respected Imperial Majesty." Lady Rosebush hated doing this, but she feared for her safety. She remembered when Aleria's husband had been alive…he had been a good man. Somewhat promiscuous, and adulterous, but with a wife like Aleria, Lady Rosebush could only half blame him.

At that moment, Lord Leafroot ran into the room, panting and falling. He bowed towards the Empress Regent and said, "Your Respected Imperial Majesty, I'm sorry I'm so late but-"

Lord Redwood interrupted him, and said, "Your over seven hours late. It's only an hour until the Empresses farewell dinner is to commence. In order to surprise the enemy, she plans on marching all night."

Lord Leafroot continued as if Lord Redwood had never said anything. "Your Respected Imperial Majesty, Lord Deadwood and Lord Thormis have escaped!" he shouted.

Lady Rosebush flinched, Lady Oakenelm gasped, and Lord Redwood stared at Lord Leafroot suspiciously. The Empress Regent, however, was furious. "What do you mean they've escaped? Did I not instruct you to place the finest Royal Guards in front of their cells?"

"I-I'm sorry, Your-Your Res-Respected Impe-Imperial Majesty," Lord Leafroot stuttered, afraid of his imminent punishment. "But I thi-think it-it was Captain Th-Th-Th-Thornall you-you t-t-told t-to do th-that."

The Empress Regent grew angrier. "You dare question me! Captain Thornall, bring this man to the dungeons, and see to it that only the finest Royal Guards are guarding him. I will be down to interrogate him in fifteen minutes." she screamed. Captain Thornall and two of the Royal Guards quickly obliged and ran over to the council, not wanting to further upset the Empress Regent.

The Empress Regent knew that arresting the bearer of bad news was generally a stupid idea. It was bad for public relations, it was bad for the trust of the ruler, and it was bad for the bearer, but this time, she thought she had found an exception. Lord Leafroot was plotting against her, and she knew that this would dispose of him without being overly obvious. She knew no one would suspect her of realizing he was plotting against her, no one ever suspected Aleria of anything. They should have expected more out of her, because she was more than capable of figuring out the three traitors in her Council. Her enemies would suffer, as Deadwood and Leafroot would, and like Rosebush would. Thormis was unimportant, as he was just a lordling, but the others would suffer.

"Your Respected Imperial Majesty," Lady Oakenelm said, "I strongly suggest we plan out a route to take to Woodhearth. Ma-I mean, it would be best if your commanders knew what we were doing."

The Empress Regent nodded, and said, "You're right. From here, we will move southwest, through the Falinesti territory, traveling through the road that runs through Emperor's Run. After that, we will continue down that road, until we reach the forest. We will march through the forest and arrive in Cori Silmoor, where I expect the Baron will provide us with new supplies after our dangerous journey through the forest. From there, we march to Diss, and well will burn any of the small towns in our way, demonstrating the example we plan to make of Maglir and his family. Once we arrive at Diss, we will destroy the city, and all of its inhabitants. Despite the fact that Woodhearth is the capital of Maglir's Kingdom, Diss is the largest city and is where Maglir's army is stationed. Once Diss falls, the rest will be easy."

As Lady Oakenelm and Lord Redwood began to sycophantically agree, Lady Rosebush, for the sake of Valenwood, decided to endanger her health. "Your Respected Imperial Majesty," she timidly said, "I'm afraid that might not work as you'd like it to. If you attack Diss, it gives Maglir and his family an opportunity to escape to Greenheart. If that were to happen, he and Ganredhel could combine their armies and side with someone else, someone more successful than we are. Aside from that, the Baron of Cori Silmoor is a cousin of Maglir. While he is one of your vassals, he is still a member of the Royal Family of Woodhearth. He might not help you kill his family. And, although I hate saying this, Lord Deadwood was right when he said that this entire campaign is ridiculous. If we could win Maglir and Ganredhel to our side without fighting our own kin, wouldn't that be a good thing? Now that I think about it, what if we were to lose at Diss? Our armies would be lost, and either Maglir, or Ganredhel, or Cyrodiil, or Eldaris, or maybe even _Mathilda_ would have an opportunity to invade our weakened army. Falinesti would be the first major city to fall during this war."

The Empress Regent glared at Lady Rosebush, full of rage and hatred. "Lady Rosebush, this is the second time I must warn you your words border treason. I'd hate to give Lord Leafroot companionship in a cold, icy cell, but I fear I may have to if I hear anymore heresy." she growled. "I'm expecting to see your attitude improve soon, or else." The Empress Regent knew that Lady Rosebush was going to suffer the "or else" part anyway.

"I'm sorry, Your Respected Imperial Majesty." Lady Rosebush said, knowing that this plan would lead to the demise of the Empire of Valenwood. She decided to escape to Anvil the next night. She would prepare a secret ship, and she would flee the wrath of the Empress Regent. Little did she know, this would not save her.

After Lady Rosebush apologized, there was a moment of silence. The Empress Regent than continued, and ordered, "Well, what are you waiting for? An invitation from the Emperor? Go start preparing things!" As the nobles left the Empress Regent, she added, "Lady Oakenelm, I need you for a minute."

Lady Oakenelm stayed with the Empress, slightly reluctantly, and said, "Yes, Your Respected Imperial Majesty?"

The Empress Regent began to walk away, and said, "Walk with me." The Empress Regent and Lady Oakenelm were walking down towards the dungeons, and she continued, "Lady Rosebush is an unwanted thorn in my side."

Lady Oakenelm nodded, and said, "Indeed, Your Respected Imperial Majesty. I suppose you want me to see to it that she falls while you're gone?"

The Empress Regent smiled, and laughed, "That's what I like about you, Lady Oakenelm. You know exactly what I want done before I tell you to do it. Now, go arrange an accident, would you?" The Empress Regent would have called Lady Oakenelm by her first name, but she didn't know it. She had known it, but she forgot it.

As the Empress Regent left, Lady Oakenelm muttered, "Predictability isn't a good thing, you idiot." She walked to her rooms of the Palace, and walked up to her mirror. The mirror was an antique, given to her by a very powerful friend in Daggerfall. Little did anyone else in the Palace know, it was much more than a mirror.

Lady Oakenelm focused all of her attention on the mirror, and she soon saw an image of Empress Mathilda of High Rock. "Nona," the Empress said (unlike Aleria, Mathilda knew Lady Oakenelm's first name), "What have you to report?"

"Your Imperial Majesty," Lady Oakenelm said, "Aleria is planning to invade Maglir's kingdom by marching southwest to Emperor's Run, and than through the woods to Cori Silmoor. From there, she plans on marching to Diss to invade the largest city in the kingdom. In the highly unlikely event Diss falls, she's going to attack Woodhearth itself."

Mathilda laughed, and said, "That's Aleria's plan. Farwyn is going to be a better Emperor than his mother is. She doesn't realize that the Baron of Cori Silmoor is going to support Maglir, for starters, and is in the employ of the Mane, like half of the other nobles in Valenwood. Has she not realized that the Mane and Darbira are trying to absorb Valenwood into Elsweyr? What an idiot. Thank you, Nona. When are you coming to Daggerfall? Woodhearth isn't going to last long, and after Orsinium has fallen and the Iliac Bay is mine, I plan on invading Valenwood, despite the fact it would be easier to invade Cyrodiil. I just feel that it is my duty as Empress to put the weak, like Aleria, out of their misery." Mathilda continued to laugh, and Lady Oakenelm joined her.

"Your Imperial Majesty," Lady Oakenelm said, "I'll be moving to Daggerfall as soon as I hear that Aleria's been forced to retreat at Diss. I'm sure your spies in Maglir's Court will inform when that happens through our mirrors. With Farwyn in charge, arranging passage out of Falinesti will be easy. Of course, I'll take as much of the Treasury as possible, and as many of the records I can find."

Mathilda nodded. "Nona, you know I don't have spies in Maglir's court. I have Maglir, and, with enough persuasion, I'll have Ganredhel as well. And if Ganredhel is less…cooperative than I would have liked, I'm working on peace between High Rock and Elsweyr." Lady Oakenelm nodded, and Mathilda added, "And, Nona, be careful. I don't know if this has reached your ears yet, but my new informant on Eldaris has reported to me that the Royal Families of Firsthold and Cloudrest are dead, after not joining with Eldaris. According to my spies in Iszel's court, they were murdered the same way the Elder Council had been slaughtered. I do not want you to jeopardize your safety by staying in Valenwood should Eldaris show up. Carry anti-magic protection charms with you at all times. I don't care what they are, just have them on you. Remember, I expect here in a few days time. If there's a change in plan, I want you to contact me immediately. It won't be long before I have fleet on it's way to Falinesti, and I want to be sure that when they come sailing up the Xylo, you're not in a burning tree. Extract yourself by any means necessary."

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty," Lady Oakenelm said. "And, might I ask if you had anything to do with Lord Deadwood and Lord Thormis escaping?"

Mathilda smiled. "Of course I did. I doubt Thormis is going to join me, but I think we can manipulate Deadwood into helping Maglir." she said.

"Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty." Lady Oakenelm said. She wasn't thanking her for telling her about the information, but because it had been Mathilda who had gotten Lady Oakenelm on the Council of Falinesti, because Mathilda had been a maternal first cousin of Aleria's husband, the former King of Falinesti and High King of Valenwood.

Mathilda nodded, and said, "Of course, Nona. I wish you the best of luck in escaping." Mathilda saw Lady Oakenelm's image in the mirror disappear, and began to walk through Castle Daggerfall. Mathilda had grown ever more distrustful of her Council. She was glad the Viktor Ergeon was leaving the next morning for Orsinium, it would only leave five rats to worry about. She only had the confidence of Marie and Magistrate Antilles Nylan. And she now had the confidence of the sorceress Earana.

Mathilda had become increasingly reliant upon Earana for almost everything. She was much more trustworthy than her scheming Court Sorcerer, Adwin Magis, most importantly. Earana was also extremely powerful politically, economically, and magically. Earana was the daughter of Princess Nenya of Lillandril, the deceased younger sister of Queen Nirya, and Duke Falimer of Southpoint in Valenwood, who was the half-Altmer, half-Bosmer youngest grandson of King Sinderion of Shimmereene, making her a powerful politician in both Summerset Isle and Valenwood. These titles came with a vast amount of wealth and education, leading to even more wealth. These educations, provided by Crystal Tower, of course, were on par with, if not better, than the studies at the Arcane University (similar to Oxford vs. Harvard). With this study came great magic, greater than even the former Archmage Hannibal Traven.

Earana was whom Mathilda needed to see now. It had been Earana who was responsible for Maglir siding with Mathilda, because he was her second cousin. Earana needed to inform Maglir of Aleria's plan, so that he could be prepared to retreat to the safety of Greenheart if he needed to...which, of course, he wouldn't. Diss was the second largest in Valenwood, and would serve as an excellent shield for Woodhearth.

Mathilda entered the room she had given Earana. Earana was beautiful and majestic, almost as much as Mathilda. "Earana," Mathilda said, "I need you to contact Maglir immediately. Aleria is planning a mad march on Diss, and, in case Diss falls, I want Maglir to pullback to Greenheart."

Earana nodded, and said, "Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. However, I'm receiving the strangest feeling from Summerset Isles. Almost like a pause in the movement of the seas, as if…as if Artaeum had stopped moving. As if the Psijic Order had disappeared again. As if they had been murdered. I feel this is Eldaris giving warnings to those who oppose him. First the Elder Council, than the Royal Families of Firsthold and Cloudrest, and now this. I feel as if Eldaris is threatening us."

Mathilda scoffed, "Of course he's threatening us. He wants to win a war. He's intimidating his opponents through by propaganda. He wants us to believe that he's received powers from his Shadow God and has used them to murder his current opponents, when he really is just having them assassinated."

Earana shook her head. "No, it's not that. I feel that if you surrender to Eldaris now, he will give you a position of power. I think he wants to see you ruling Pyandonea or Yokuda." she said.

Mathilda laughed. "Earana, I think you need to rest after you've contacted Maglir. You're becoming paranoid, you're becoming sloppy, and worst of all, you're becoming like Aleria. Now, go inform Maglir of Aleria's plan. This would be so much more difficult if Eldaris didn't trust you. You wouldn't be able to enter the Shadows if it weren't that."

* * *

Aleria had moved down to the dungeons of the Willows Palace. She had been prompt, and had arrived exactly fifteen minutes after she had dismissed her council. Upon her arrival, she was greeted by Captain Thornall, who she had yet to inform of his promotion. 

"Your Respected Imperial Majesty," Thornall said as he bowed towards the Empress Regent.

"Minister, walk with me." she ordered, not wanting to keep Leafroot waiting.

Captain Thornall was puzzled at the Empress Regent's remarks. "Minister? Of what?" he asked.

"Captain Thornall, for your loyal service, I've decided to appoint you my new Minister of War, now that Deadwood's betrayed us. Congratulations. Stay on my good side, and you'll continue to be congratulated. If you don't, I'm sure you'll enjoy the dungeons." she said.

"Thank you, Your Respected Imperial Majesty," he said, bowing yet again towards the Empress Regents. "If I may be so bold, might I ask what you intend to do with Lord Leafroot?"

The Empress Regent gave a vicious grin. "I plan on killing the traitor, of course." she cackled. As the two-reached Lord Leafroot's cell, she continued, "Wait for me outside. I'll handle this personally."

Lord Thornall handed the Empress Regent the cell key, which she quickly used to open Lord Leafroot's cell. Lord Leafroot was huddled on the ground, battered and bruised, likely due to the harsh treatment the Royal Guard…no, the Imperial Guard, had given him. Lord Leafroot looked up at the Empress, and started inanely babbling, "No, no, don't lock me in here! I'm too old. I don't know what's happening! Please, don't, no, no, no!"

Aleria looked down upon him, and saw the broken spirit and mind of an old man who had loyally served the Camoran Kings, the Willow Kings, Falinesti, Valenwood, and the Empire, in that order. "You foolish old man," she said as she kicked him. "Your treasonous acts has brought this upon you. I feel that I should let you live and suffer here, but than again, Deadwood and Thormis escaped, and, even like this, you could do the same. So I fear this is the end." Aleria placed her hand in front of Leafroot's face, covering his mouth and nose. As he struggled to break free, her grip only grew tighter. "There, there. It'll all be over soon." As Lord Leafroot died, Aleria gave a sinister laugh that would strike fear into the very souls of the surrounding prisoners.

Aleria unsympathetically left the cell, and walked over to Lord Thornall. "Arthronir, take me to my son. It's time for dinner, and I do believe he should attend. However, I want four dozen Imperial Guards, yes Imperial Guards, guarding us."

"Yes, Your Respected Imperial Majesty," Lord Thornall said. He quickly added, "However, I have reports from my agents in his wing that several young women from the lower branches were seen entering his room."

Aleria slapped Lord Thornall in a fit of rage. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" she screamed. Aleria knocked him to the ground, and began to charge through the Willows Palace. She ran up numerous flights of stairs, knocking anyone in her way over. No one dared object, and many of them apologized for being in her way. When the Empress Regent was mad, all of Falinesti trembled.

As Aleria entered the Emperor's wing of the Willows Palace, she saw two guards patrolling. "You two! Come, with me!" she ordered. The guards, immediately recognizing the Empress Regent was in a rage, quickly followed her. The three of them charged down the hall into the Master Bedroom, where Aleria tried to open the doors. She noticed it was locked. "If these doors aren't open in ten seconds, I expect you two to force them." Aleria ordered to the guards.

As she waited for the ten seconds to pass, she was listening in, and heard three different women say things like, "Oh Farwyn!" and "Harder, faster." Aleria's rage grew even stronger, knew that someone would pay in blood.

After the ten seconds, the guards forced the doors down, both falling to the ground. Aleria charged into the room, both guards on either side behind her. She was furious at what she saw. Farwyn was in the Master Bed with three similarly aged Bosmer girls. Aleria's eyes gleamed with rage when she shouted, "FARWYN WILLOWS!"

* * *

Countess Miranda Umbranox and Count Valin Matinus had been holed up in that cave for two days now. They knew they were marked for death, and were afraid to leave until someone found them. Unfortunately for them, the cave had turned out to be a vampire layer, and they had run into the deepest recesses of the cave, beyond the reaches of the vampires. Now, they feared worse things. They saw tools for Daedric worship. Not the worship of comparatively benevolent Azura or the mysterious, yet apparently benign Nocturnal, but for Malacath and Molag Bal. 

Miranda had been able to escape the vampires unharmed, but Valin had been wounded, and now was unconscious below her. He had not been infected with Poryphic Hemophilia, thankfully, but he had suffered a stomach wound delivered by a vampire warrior. Miranda feared that if he did not receive help soon, he would die.

Miranda was a decent sorceress, trained in basic practice of all of the schools of magic. However, she had always been better at alteration than any other form of magic, and did not possess the knowledge of restoration that Valin need to live. Miranda wished she had been better at restoration.

Miranda stared at Valin in awe. She had always loved him, because he was a sensitive and intelligent man, traits Miranda herself had always loved in men. She could only hope they would be rescued soon or they would face their doom at the hands of Molag Bal worshiping vampires.

* * *

Aleria and the nobility of Falinesti had all arrived at dinner. However, Farwyn had not yet arrived, much to Aleria's anger. Aleria was growing impatient with her son, and had she not only had power through him, would have had him killed. 

That son of hers had been sleeping with three different _harlots_ before she had broken in. Against her son's wishes, she had had them tortured, mutilated, and killed, before having their bodies ripped to pieces and placed around the walls of the city. Aleria would not tolerate such a scandalous nature from her son.

Farwyn walked in unceremoniously over an hour later. He stumbled across the room to the table, tripping along the way. Aleria knew her son had gotten drunk, and was embarrassing himself (and his mother) in front of all of High Society in Falinesti. She also believed that he did it to spite her.

Aleria, realizing that scolding him would likely hurt her public relations (even more), decided to wait until after her return from Woodhearth. Instead, she simply smiled at her son, and announced, "Nobles of Falinesti, my son has arrived, and dinner is about to begin."

* * *

In Elsweyr, Queen Darbira was preparing for a meeting with the Mane. Queen Darbira was appointed Queen of Elsweyr by Ocato after the Oblivion Crisis, to help keep Elsweyr under Imperial Control. However, the Queen had little real power. That rested in the Mane. 

The Mane was a rare breed of Khajiit, with _usually_ only one at a time. There had recently been a situation in which a second Mane was born, but the current Mane had the new one eliminated at birth. Queen Darbira had tried to stop the murder, but she had very little real power.

Queen Darbira was the hereditary Queen of Rimmen, the only city in Elsweyr to have a monarch, and the only city it could be argued in which Darbira had some power. Rimmen, near both the east and north border to Cyrodiil, had become somewhat secular, and doubted the true power of the Mane. They doubted that the Mane had the ability to "_see_ the past," as anyone could simply open a book and "_read_ the past."

Queen Darbira had not been an opponent to the position of the Mane, but had been an opponent to this particular Mane. The previous Manes had been able to keep Elsweyr somewhat peaceful, and the historic conflict between the imperious, dogmatic, and civilized south and the barbaric, brutal, and flexible north had been put to a near stop. This Mane, however, was born in Corinthe, which was known as being the leading city of the south, the most cultured, the most authoritative, and the most arrogant city of the south.

Queen Darbira, although she was a northerner, was usually very peaceful with the south. She had loved the city of Senecal, which was a beautiful and prosperous city ever since it was cleaned up, and removed of drugs. She thought the southern jungles were much prettier than the northern desserts. She thought that Torval was a masterpiece of architecture.

This Mane, however, was Corinthen through and through. He was of the Ohmes-Rhat breed, like most Corinthens, and appeared almost as an elf. However, what bothered Darbira about him was that he was racist against the northerners, and against many other races. He despised the Argonians, loathed the Dunmer, detested the Bosmer, abhorred the Imperials, hated the Nords, couldn't stand the Orcs, he was malicious towards the Redguards, and he didn't like most Bretons (although he did favor those of Daggerfall).

Darbira had just arrived in Torval, the seat of the Mane, and prepared for the dreaded meeting between them.

* * *

The departing feast of Falinesti went as planned, with surprisingly few interruptions from the Emperor. Aleria was relieved at her son, and knew that him coming in drunk was not terrible. She decided that he no longer needed scolding, and she would happily leave Lord Redwood in charge. Woodhearth would fall, and Haven would yield. Falinesti would win the war.

* * *

Princess Elisa of Wayrest was packing her most prized possessions. They had received word earlier that day that the Royal Family of Wayrest, and much of the army of Wayrest, would be taken to Orsinium. Although Orsinium was closer to Daggerfall, it was safer, as Orsinium was much more formidable than Wayrest. 

Princess Elisa had also heard of the other news that she was going to marry Durgub gro-Argumu. Elisa had met Durgub before, as Gro-Mak-Han, during his reign as King of Orsinium, had proposed a marriage between the two. Elisa was found of Durgub, and was not against the match. However, her Great-Grandmother refused to allow it because "it was grotesque."

Elisa was happy she had been engaged to the heir of Orsinium. He remembered him being kind, strong, and gentle. He would be a protective and suitable husband, and Elisa would be willing to marry him.

* * *

And that's the end of this chapter. I'd like to thank everyone who's submitted a review to this story, and anyone who continues to submit reviews; you're my favorite people and deserve a title. However, I'd love some more constructive criticism, as I'd like to make this story even better. I'm an aspiring author, and this is my practice…actually my current original project is presently longer than the first Harry Potter Book. This reminds me that the most important day in history is only nineteen days away. 

The scene where Aleria discovers Farwyn "in bed" was originally longer and included more of an arguement, but I deemed it unneccesary, although it did develop their characters.

Also, I'd like to remind everyone that there is a very good map of Tamriel available at the Imperial Library website, and that my homepage contains some information on this story (okay, a lot of information), and some of my sources.

And remember to cheer! Cheer for your favorite characters, cheer for your favorite side, and cheer for anything else you can think of. And also boo people! If you don't like Farwyn (which I don't blame you for), express it! I already know what's going to happen, but boo and cheer anyway.

Which reminds me of one last thing. I put Iszel, Eldaris, Mathilda, Farwyn, Aleria, Gro-Mak-Han, and Herold through a Mary-Sue Litmus Test. Their scores are the following:

Eldaris: 55

Iszel: 25

Mathilda: 16

Gro-Mak-Han: 14

Herold: 13

Farwyn: 4

Aleria: -4

As far as Eldaris is concerned, I don't think the Mary Sue Litmus Test really applies to characters that are villainous. And yes, Aleria has a NEGATIVE score.


	14. 13: The Battle of Diss

Chapter 13: The Battle of Diss

"Your Majesty," said the Sorceress Earana to King Maglir of Woodhearth, "I have a report from Her Imperial Majesty. Our spy in Aleria's court has reported that Aleria is leading an army to Haven, and Her Imperial Majesty fears you are next."

Earana had contacted Maglir through shadow magic, a school of magic similar to necromancy, except much rarer. It was magic from Aldmeris, magic she had learned from her former mentor. Both Earana and Maglir were covered in Shadows, removed from the physical plane of existence, now in an unknown realm in the cosmos.

Earana did not usually practice such complicated shadow magic, as she viewed it as dangerous. She only used this magic while in council, which was rare enough for her to remain safe. However, Earana had been instructed to contact Maglir, and this was the fastest way.

Earana had known she was misinforming Maglir, and that Aleria's army was coming towards Woodhearth. Her leader had decided that seeing Valenwood under the rule of Aleria would be more profitable to everyone…aside from Valenwood. Aleria's incompetence, both as a leader and as a parent, would doom Valenwood.

Maglir nodded at Earana. "So, Aleria wants to fight, does she? I'll send six thousand of my finest troops to Haven to defend Ganredhel and freedom." Maglir growled.

"Excellent, Your Majesty," Earana said, as she disappeared from the shadows.

* * *

That same night, the army of Falinesti, under the command of Empress Regent Aleria Willows and Minister of War Arthronir Thornall, departed from the City of Falinesti. The Empress Regent had not been to southern Valenwood for many years, as she had no reason to. Southern Valenwood was less stable than northern Valenwood, and Aleria, Maglir, and Ganredhel could rarely agree on anything. That's why Aleria planned on burning Woodhearth to the ground. 

The army of Falinesti had five thousand elite soldiers, trained specifically for besieging a city. Aleria had ordered that five thousand soldiers go on the Woodhearth Campaign as the disciplined soldiers of Falinesti could easily beat twice as many of the weak and cowardly troops from Woodhearth or Haven, and it left a sizeable defense force in Falinesti. Aleria knew that Lady Rosebush would try to take over Falinesti in her absence, and knew that she couldn't accomplish much with an army guarding Falinesti and the Emperor.

Aleria knew her child needed protection. He always went around saying how he was a great warrior, and how he could kill ogres, but Aleria knew he was just being boastful. Farwyn needed every last bit of protection he could possibly get. There were just too many dangers in Tamriel: murderers, tramps, and Liches, to name a few.

* * *

Farwyn swung his sword at Alveleg Deadwood, the fifteen-year-old son of Lord Deadwood. The two were dueling, and were being watched by Ervil Treethorn, Brallion Yggdrasil, and Samia Thormis, the daughter of Lord Thormis. Alveleg lifted his sword and blocked the on coming attack, knocking Farwyn back. Farwyn laughed and stabbed Alveleg in the stomach. 

Alveleg was wearing an elvish cuirass, and shrugged off the wound. Before he could do anything, Farwyn stabbed him again, and Alveleg fell to the ground. Farwyn walked over to him, kicked him, and threateningly said, "Surrender."

There was a moment of silence before Alveleg said anything. "Okay," he said, before bursting into a fit of laughter. It was only a moment before Farwyn and the others joined him, and Alveleg pushed himself up.

"Pathetic," Farwyn said to his friend as the two went to sit down with the others. As Farwyn sat down, Samia came over to him, sat on his lap, and began to stroke his long black hair. Samia was a chestnut haired fourteen-year-old, with a very freckled face. She had a very pretty smile, and simple, shallow eyes.

"Yeah, that was bad." Ervil said to Alveleg, also laughing at him. Brallion merely rolled his eyes at the others.

"What are you looking at?" Farwyn said to Brallion. Brallion was a member of the noble Yggdrasil House, one of the most powerful families in Falinesti. While his family held no noteworthy titles of nobility (he had an aunt who was a Countess and an uncle who was a Baron), they held power elsewhere. Brallion's father was High Priest Y'ffre, the God of the Forest, while his mother was a Priestess in the Cult of Mephala. Brallion knew that his father did not believe in the power of the Bosmeri Gods, but he used the post to gain power.

Brallion rolled his eyes again, and said, "I'm just stupefied by the fact that you have had the chance to cease power since your mother left, and you've still not managed to do so."

Ervil and Alveleg stared at Brallion confusedly. Samia looked interested, but continued to stroke Farwyn's hair. Farwyn's eyes, on the other hand, lit up. "You're saying that I can take over, and use the rest of my army however I want?" he said excitedly.

Brallion rolled his eyes again, and sarcastically said, "No. I'm suggesting we sit here and continue to act like ten-year-olds." Seeing that none of them understood the sarcasm, Brallion said, "Yes. That's exactly what I'm suggesting." He rolled his eyes again.

The others were still puzzled, but Farwyn managed to ask, "How?"

Brallion simply said, "The Sister of Chaos."

* * *

Lady Rosebush was in one of the taller branches of Falinesti, making secret plans to escape with a small group of nobles who were opposed to Aleria's regency. This group was known as the Patriots of Falinesti. Lady Rosebush was meeting with them for the first time. 

Lady Rosebush had never seriously considered joining the Patriots of Falinesti. Although they had only recently formed, she had heard rumors of their plans. Plans that involved attacking high profile targets, like the Beautiful in the Summerset Isles. Lady Rosebush disapproved of this, and knew that it would be better if she were just to leave Falinesti and go elsewhere…maybe Cyrodiil, or Skyrim. Maybe even Wayrest.

Lady Rosebush looked around at the cloaked figures as the meeting began. All of them, save herself were hooded and masked, and hid their identities to prevent any spies Aleria might have from getting any information. Lady Rosebush didn't see that likely, as Aleria had a habit of mistrusting those loyal to her, and trusting those who betrayed her. Aleria knew that both Lord Redwood and Lady Oakenelm were up to something. She didn't what, but it was something.

The head figure called the meeting to order. He was short, even for a Bosmer. That was all Lady Rosebush could tell about him, as his face was masked. "Welcome to the Patriots of Falinesti." Lady Rosebush was able to recognize his voice. It was none other than Gaeldol Yggdrasil, the High Priest of Y'ffre. "As many of you know, Aleria has become increasingly intolerable, killing our own Bosmeri brethren. While Chaos is a welcome addition, this is worse than a sin. She must be stopped. We need a more capable regent."

Several of the figures gave suggestions, including "Lord Thormis," "Lord Deadwood," and "Lord Treethorn." However, one of the women in the crowd gave a suggestion that the others seemed to agree on. "Gaeldol Yggdrasil." she said. Lady Rosebush thought for a moment, and she realized that it was Gaeldol's wife. Lady Rosebush had never learned her name, but they had met.

The room filled with sentences along the line of, "Yggdrasil…the High Priest of Y'ffre…yes, he never liked Aleria, and he serves Y'ffre. That can't go wrong." There was a consensus that Gaeldol was the best choice, and Lady Rosebush realized what was going on. The Patriots of Falinesti weren't actually devoted to freedom, but devoted to installing Gaeldol Yggdrasil into power. She knew that her very life would depend on getting out of Falinesti immediately.

The woman, Gaeldol's wife, continued, and said, "However, before we can perform and major social change, we have one issue to resolve." There was a moment of silence amongst the group. "Lady Rosebush, a member of the Emperor's Council, is with us tonight, and she wants our help to escape Falinesti."

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a knock on the door. Lady Rosebush could tell that it was no regular knock, and was instead a battering ram. Before anyone realized it, both Gaeldol and his wife had vanished. As the battering ram continued to beat down the door, Lady Rosebush realized that she would be arrested for treason.

The door broke down, and a group of Imperial Guards, led by Lady Oakenelm charged into the room. They began aimlessly firing arrows into the room, killing many of the "Patriots" of Falinesti. Lady Rosebush did her best to hide, but she too soon joined to growing pile of bodies.

* * *

Aleria's army had just arrived in Emperor's Run. As a loyalist city towards Imperial Valenwood (what Aleria had started calling the Kingdom of Falinesti), Aleria had been expecting nothing but praise and applauds upon her arrival. How wrong she was… 

Aleria, in one of the smartest moments of her life, decided not to bring her army into the city of Emperor's Run. She had realized that if she brought the army into the city, the population would become uneasy and restless. However, she did little else right.

Aleria entered the city, not escorted by an army, but a small escort of heavily armored soldiers, led by Minister Thornall. The guards walked throughout the street, clanking and disrupting the peace. As it was nighttime, the sleeping citizens were painfully awoken by the banging of the guards. Many of them burst from their small houses, shouting, "Quiet!" and "People are trying to sleep!" At this shouting, Aleria snapped her fingers, and Minister Thornall shouted out to the town.

"People of Emperor's Run!" he cried, "I present to you, Her Respected Imperial Majesty, Empress Regent Aleria Willows!" There was a moment of silence, and no one made any noise. The newly appointed Minister continued, "She has come to speak with the ruling Lord." Once again, there was a moment of silence, and Thornall had to continue to elaborate. "Where is he?"

No one answered, and the silence continued. After another moment, the crowds began to boo and hiss at the entourage. Some of the peasants even began to attack. Aleria did the one thing she knew how to do in a crisis. She screamed, "HELP! HELP! I'M BEING ATTACKED! SAVE ME! SAVE ME NOW!"

Aleria's guards quickly moved her and Minister Thornall through the town square to avoid the mob. Aleria was still screaming, not wanting to be killed. Minister Thornall, Aleria's indubitably most loyal supporter, even wanted to shut her up. Bottles and pitchforks were flying, and there was chaos everywhere. Aleria's guards were being slaughtered left and right.

Before long, however, the town guards showed up and started to calm things down. When the guards realized who was being attacked, they quickly began executing the townsfolk: men, women, and children, anyone who had attacked the Imperial Entourage. It was not long before this part of the town had been set on fire.

The guards from Emperor's Run quickly and silently escorted Aleria, Minister Thornall, and her remaining guards to the Castle of Emperor's Run. Aleria noted that it was rather "un-Valenwood" in style. For starters, it was on the ground, not in the trees. Aleria knew that only large cities, such as Falinesti, Woodhearth, Haven, Southpoint, Diss, and the likes could _afford_ to have the entire city in the trees, but most small towns had only the castle…which was more of a palace than a castle in most cases.

That was another difference. The Castle of Emperor's Run _was_ a castle, and _not_ a palace. Aleria hated this about Emperor's Run. It was so…so "un-Valenwood." It stood out like a sore thumb.

However, the thing Aleria hated most about the Castle of Emperor's Run was that it was irredeemably small. Aleria was used to living in the two hundred-room Willows Palace, as opposed to this pathetically small, twenty-room castle. Aleria hated things when they were small…except Bosmer, of course. She liked that, and disliked her…her…her _abnormality_ of a son.

Aleria's company approached the Castle of Emperor's Run, and they found that Lord Morth Groundtree was waiting for them outside of his castle, with two of his advisors, one on either side of him. Like most Bosmer, Morth Groundtree was short. Unlike most Bosmer, Morth Groundtree was immensely fat (which, incidentally, was something else Aleria hated about Emperor's Run).

As Lord Groundtree walked down a flight of stairs to greet Aleria, he tried to bow towards her, but could not due to his weight. _"Great…_" Aleria thought as she looked at the fat pig. She couldn't help but to be disgusted with yet _another_ loyal follower. "Morth," she said, "it's a…it's a pleasure to see you." Aleria was stuttering, unable to hide the fact that she was lying. Luckily, Lord Groundtree didn't seem to catch on.

"Aleria, darling," he said. Aleria noted that his voice sounded like a dying warthog, and she covered her mouth in disgust. When she noticed Morth was looking at her strangely, and she tried to fake yawning. The two advisors glared at each other suspiciously, but Morth seemingly believed the yawn. "What brings you to my humble city."

"_I wouldn't call it humble."_ Aleria thought, but instead said, "Why thank you, Morth. However, I come bringing terrible news. As you already know, Valenwood is in a state of war. I am marching my armies to Diss and then to Woodhearth, where I will deal the traitor Maglir. Once I'm done with him, I'm sure Ganredhel will…warm up to me, think of me more as a friend. I think that she'll agree a unified Valenwood will be best for all." Aleria gave a sinister laugh.

"Indeed." Morth said. "What is it you require of me, Empress?"

Although Aleria didn't like Morth, she couldn't help but admit he was loyal. "Morth, I want you to rally as many troops you can, and come south with me. Help me lead my forces into battle."

Morth hesitated a moment, and then said, "Yes, Empress. I will have my troops by dawn."

Aleria shook her head and frowned. "I'm afraid that won't due, Morth. You see, I want to see Woodhearth in flames by tomorrow afternoon. I need your troops ready in one hour. We will march through the night, burn Diss by early tomorrow morning, and I will have Maglir's head on a Pyke by dinner tomorrow."

Aleria expected resistance from Morth, but instead he said, "Yes Empress." She was shocked that someone she so obviously disliked could be this loyal to her. It puzzled her, but did not distract her for long.

The Empress Regent had always believed that good service should be rewarded, so she said, "Morth, I hereby appoint you the first Viscount of Emperor's Run, in honor of your services to Imperial Valenwood." Once again, Morth attempted to bow, but could not muster the strength to do so.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Your Imperial Majesty," Marie said to Mathilda, "I'm afraid that General Ergeon has a request for you." Mathilda and Marie were inside the Grand Council Chambers in the Castle of Daggerfall, accompanied by the Sorceress Earana. Mathilda was reading a book entitled "Orsinium, a History" by Bathilda Bagshot. Earana was performing some basic telekinesis, as Marie paced around the room, looking nervous. Marie didn't like Earana, and any request Ergeon had could only be trouble.

"Send him in," Mathilda said disinterestedly, and Marie complied with the order.

General Viktor Ergeon walked in. The tall proud Breton towered over Mathilda and Marie, but was shorter than Earana. The General walked over to stand over Mathilda, seemingly trying to intimidate her. "Empress," he said, grudgingly acknowledging her post, "I'm afraid we need more time in preparing the army on Orsinium."

Mathilda's eyes narrowed at this statement. "Viktor," Mathilda growled, "I've given you three days to prepare an army of five-thousand. Ample time. Explain to me how it is you've failed in doing this. I wanted to smell smoke from Orsinium tomorrow evening."

The General took a deep breath, desperate to avoid the Empress's wraith. Although he opposed her politically, General Ergeon knew that the Empress was a powerful force. Although no proof had ever been found, it was an unspoken fact in Daggerfall that Mathilda had murdered Gothryd and his family to claim the throne for her own. "Empress, I am sorry, but Orsinium has been reinforced."

Mathilda looked intrigued at this. "Reinforced, you say? Well, well, well," she said maliciously. "Exactly what do you mean by reinforced, Viktor?" If it was what Mathilda had hoped for, things had just changed drastically.

The General was confused, but nonetheless answered. "Elysana has summoned the armies of Wayrest north to defend Orsinium. Your spies within the Courts of Wayrest and Orsinium have reported that the city has approximately forty-thousand soldiers defending it, in addition to the Imperial and Royal Guard, and any mages they may have."

Mathilda carefully masked a triumphant smile, not wanting to give away her position to Viktor. Instead, she hissed, "Your incompetence is growing most taxing. Why didn't you increase the size of the attack force? I specifically recall telling you to take command of five thousand battle mages and any other forces you could possibly use that wouldn't leave us vulnerable." When the General hesitated in leaving, Mathilda continued to hiss. "Well? I will give you an additional to prepare my armies, but no more. If they are not prepared, I think you will dread the consequences."

The General scampered out of the room, and Mathilda unconcealed her smile. Earana, surprisingly puzzled at this smile, asked, "Empress, why are you so jubilant?"

Mathilda gave a cackle, and said, "If Elysana is defending the city with an army of forty-thousand ragtag soldiers, most, if not all, of the Royal House of Wayrest will be there. All we need to do is see to it that poor little Gro-Mak-Han does not survive the battle, and we've won. Orsinium will fall if their leader dies."

Marie, seeming as if she was vying for attention, jumped up and said, "Your Imperial Majesty, what are your orders?"

Mathilda smiled insidiously again, and commanded, "Prepare a small group of my most loyal and powerful battle mages. We're leaving for Orsinium six hours after Viktor." Three of her enemies would die in one battle.

* * *

Aleria and her reinforced army arrived in Cori Silmoor. Rather than taking the tame approach that had failed in Emperor's Run, the entire army marched into Cori Silmoor, on the advice of Minister Thornall. He had reminded the Empress Regent of the Baron's relations to Maglir. 

It was because of this Aleria had stormed the city without giving any warning, arrested any protesters, and quickly went to the castle, followed on either side by Viscount Groundtree and Minister Thornall. The guards who tried Aleria at the castle gate were also quickly arrested. Aleria intended to speak with the Baron immediately.

As none of the guards had yet opened the gate, the Empress Regent was preparing to force it open. She ordered her soldiers to prepare to break the door down, and cause yet another controversial incident. Aleria was tired of such insubordination: Leafroot, Rosebush, Deadwood, Thormis, and now Baron Silmoor.

As the men prepared to charge, the door was opened by a skinny, tall, and very poised Altmer woman. Aleria quickly recognized her as Narcalya Silmoor, the Baroness Consort of Silmoor, and the sister of Queen Nirya of Lillandril, and the real power in the Barony of Silmoor. The Baroness was an elderly lady, with pale grey eyes and a scowl that would terrorize most. "Narcalya." Aleria said curtly.

Narcalya scowled, and defiantly said, "Aleria, Arthronir, Morth." The Empress Regent nearly fainted. Viscount Groundtree shook his head in disgust. Minister Thornall almost charged at her, but cowered when she scowled. Apparently, the Baroness's Altmer heritage was showing. Living in Valenwood for six centuries didn't change an Altmer's snobbery.

Aleria did her best to ignore the insult, not wanting the direct wrath of Summerset Isle so early in the war. "Narcalya," she said, biting her tongue, "Where's your husband?"

Narcalya shook her head and said, "The _Bosmer_ oaf I live with is sleeping. Seeing as it's three in the morning, I can't help but not to blame the _Bosmer_ idiot."

Aleria was outraged at this obvious disrespect towards the Bosmer race. "Could you go wake him up?" she asked angrily, doing her best to avoid countering Narcalya's insults.

"I haven't been in his room since our wedding night. No, I can't go wake him up. You Bosmer can be such degenerates." Narcalya growled. "Really, the only Bosmer I've ever liked were all from Haven."

Aleria bit her lip, and Viscount Groundtree flinched, but it Captain Thornall could hold his rage no longer. He began to charge at Narcalya, but before he walked more than a few feet, a green bolt hit him. Narcalya had paralyzed him.

"It will only last a few minutes before he'll be able to move again, don't worry." she said. As she said that, she called one of the servants over and sent him to go wake Baron Silmoor.

Aleria, however, was not satisfied. "You-you-you paralyzed my Minister!" she screamed.

Narcalya curtly turned, and rebuked, "So you noticed. In case you haven't noticed, Aleria, you're idiot guard tried to attack me."

Aleria was stunned that a member of her own peerage was so outright defiant. "Why you-" she started, before being interrupted.

"Shut-up, Aleria." Narcalya ordered. "Unless you want my sister to here what's going on here. I'm sure she'll get Eldaris into Valenwood faster than you can count to three…of course, that does give him a year or so."

Aleria gasped. The very little she knew about diplomacy and politics left her, and she found herself knocking Narcalya to the floor. When the Baroness pushed her off her, Viscount Groundtree tried to crush her, causing her to take swift evasive action. Aleria's guard charged at Narcalya, and she cast another paralyzing spell upon Lord Groundtree. Aleria's guards continued to press forward as the Baroness moved back, Narcalya threw a lightning bolt at one of the guards, knocking him off his feet.

Aleria realized that she was on the losing side of a battle. Narcalya was Altmer Royalty, trained in only the finest magic. And even if they won, Nirya would have been annoyed. Although she hated admitting it, Narcalya was a keep element in the survival of Valenwood. As another one of her guards was knocked off his feet, Aleria cried, "Stop attacking Baroness Narcalya."

As Aleria said that, and the guards calmed down near a flight of elaborate stairs, a well dressed, regal looking Bosmer walked down those stairs. "What's going on here?" he asked.

Aleria looked up to see Baron Fillin Silmoor. "Fillin," she said, greeting him.

Fillin kneeled and bowed towards Aleria, and said, "Your Respected Imperial Majesty."

There was a moment of awkward silence when Narcalya said, "Get up. Aleria, I want you out of our city now, and as compensation for the chaos you caused, I demand my husband be made an Earl."

Aleria laughed. "You aren't serious, are you? I'm more likely to have you arrested and executed."

Baron Fillin cowered, but Narcalya said, "I'm sure my sister would love to here that story. As I already said, Eldaris will have an army in Falinesti before you could count to three…by the way, that goes one…two…three. Not five, three."

Aleria was stupefied. She hated giving Narcalya her satisfaction, but had no choice. Even Aleria knew Eldaris had power…dark power, power that he could have shared with Queen Nirya. She knew that a cordial relationship with Summerset Isle (for now) was necessary to survive more than a month in this war. "Fine…Grand Countess." As she said that, Aleria turned away from Cori Silmoor, and knew she would never return.

* * *

In the Imperial City, Barenziah, Alessia Armus, and Camandila had been left as co-Regents with Iszel's absence. However, it was generally acknowledged that Barenziah was the final authority, as Alessia and Camandila were always at each others throats. This left the Queen Grandmother of Morrowind as the tiebreaker. 

The three of them sat in the Elder Council Chambers. With them were _the_ Marquise Cristina Axia, Baroness Amyra Viturex, Deputy-Chancellor Celia Camoran, King Kayle, and Interim General Falco Sedeus of the Imperial Legion. Sedeus had been given a temporary promotion from Commander to General because it was unlikely that Octavian Gratus would survive his wounds from the assassination attempt on Iszel. This made up the new Elder Council.

The entire Elder Council had been worried about the fate of Bruma. All of them were tired, as it was four in the morning, and they had been having petty debates for the past seven hours. They had agreed to stay in place until news came, making several people testy (or testier, depending on the person). Alessia and Camandila were the most notorious of the arguers, however.

The new Elder Council was in disorder, and Barenziah was the only one who had kept her senses.

Camandila and Alessia's latest argument was over the status of Camindila's position. "The Empress appointed you because you were the only available option!" Alessia cried. "You are by no means a permanent appointment."

Camandila rolled her eyes, and angrily said, "You just don't like me because I'm an Altmer! I thought the Empire was _against_ racism!"

"Please!" Alessia rebuked. "If that's why I objected your appointment, I would also want to remove Celia from her position. She's a Bosmer!"

Camandila laughed. "Really? Aleria doesn't pose a threat, and her son's only thirteen. You wouldn't need to remove any Bosmer because Aleria's too stupid and paranoid to trust anyone." Barenziah nodded her head, seemingly agreeing with Camandila.

Falco Sedeus interjected. "Alessia's got a point. Camandila is an Altmer, and really isn't trustworthy. And I don't care how stupid Aleria is, I think Celia should be removed too. The Elder Council should only be made of Imperials, Redguards, and Dark Elves."

Alessia looked at Falco warningly, and said, "I don't want to remove Camandila from her position because she's an Altmer. I just feel that we should get someone who's worked with the Imperial Legion before."

Celia, however, ignored Alessia and turned her anger towards Falco. "I've been serving this Empire since before you were born!" she cried. "How dare you try to dispose of me!"

"_Calia_, darling," the Marquise said, not realizing she misaddressed Celia, "Of course no one doubts your service to the Empire. It's just at times like this we should be careful about who we employ. Right, _Falcus_?"

Both Celia Camoran and Falco Sedeus rolled their eyes in disgust. The Marquise was old, just not _that_ old. As their eyes rolled, Baroness Amyra chimed into the argument. "I think that the Camandila is the most cost effective. She's done wonders, and hasn't charged anything. Lets keep her."

"_Amara_," the Marquise said, "You're only saying that because you don't have any money…unlike the rest of us." Amyra joined Falco and Celia in their anger.

"This is ridiculous." Camandila muttered.

"What was that, _Carmilla_?" the Marquise asked her.

"Nothing, _Carina_." Camandila snidely replied. Unlike the Marquise, she had intentionally called her by the wrong name. Barenziah gave a quick laugh, but pretended to cough to cover it up.

Before the Marquise could retort, the door to the Elder Council Chambers burst open. A soldier, clad in bear pelt armor, charged into the room. He shouted, "News from Bruma for the Elder Council."

The Elder Council was silent. This is what they had been waiting for. They might finally be able to sleep.

"Well, what is it?" Camandila asked anxiously, breaking the silence.

The messenger grew somber. "Narina Carvain is dead, and her daughter Livia is Countess Bruma. The city underwent heavy loses, but survived. The Empress and High Chancellor are both alive and well."

"And?" Camandila asked testily.

"Eldaris appeared." he said, and the room went into a fury.

Cries of "What!" and "How!" and "That can't be!" filled the rooms. Only Barenziah was able to keep a façade of calmness.

"And what did he do?" she asked, breathing heavily all the while.

The messenger bowed his head, and said, "He murdered the Countess. She had been wounded beyond help, so he killed her. And he explained that the gem the Countess wore around her neck was a powerful artifact called Winter's Will." The messenger continued to recount Eldaris's explanation, and the reformed Elder Council was in shock.

"Oh my." Alessia said. Camandila nodded her head in agreement.

There was a moment of silence, and Barenziah said, "I think this just got more complicated. What did the Empress decide to do?"

* * *

The attack on Diss began at sunrise. 

While the city slept, flaming arrows flew into the sky. Houses caught fire, guards were burned. The giant tree itself had been set aflame. Although much of the city had awoken in the chaos, many of them had no chance of fleeing the city.

The lifts leading up to the tree had been shut down, and all of the platforms were kept in the highest branches. Although their were switches to activate the lifts on the lower and ground levels, they were heavily guarded by only the strongest fortresses. Taking them would be impossible. Getting in and out of the city was nearly impossible now. There were only two ways: one was to climb, which was highly unlikely.

The other was to levitate, which wasn't a workable suggestion for the Empress Regent. She had little patience for sorcery, feeling it was ineffective, and only confused things. She didn't have many battle mages with her. At least she didn't have enough to take a city.

And that was why Viscount Groundtree had ordered a series of archers to set fire to the city. If Aleria couldn't control Diss, she would kill everyone inside. Every betraying man, woman, and child would suffer.

* * *

The Duke of Diss knew that this was the end. He knew that the city would fall if he didn't do anything, and he knew that thousands upon thousands of people would die. And he knew it would be his fault if he didn't do anything. 

The Duke of Diss was shorter than the average Bosmer, and a cowardly elf. A smart elf, but a cowardly elf. The Duke knew that Aleria was psychotic enough to not agree to reason and surrender. And the Duke knew that he was too cowardly to deal with this.

And that's why the Duke of Diss had jumped out of the branches of Diss, falling, coming close to impact with the ground. If he were lucky, he'd land on one of Aleria's men, or Aleria herself. If he were lucky, he would be remembered as a hero. If he were lucky, someone would say how he fell from a branch while trying to save a child.

Sadly, he wasn't lucky.

* * *

In the Shivering Isles, Haskill had summoned both Autkendo Dylora and Aurmazl Staada to New Sheoth Palace from Pinnacle Rock and Brellach. As the only two members of Lord Sheogorath's most trusted inner circle that did not live in New Sheoth, it was unsurprising that they were the last ones to arrive at the meeting. 

When Lord Sheogorath had left Shivering Isles to return to Nirn, under his "normal" name of Axenon, he had left Haskill in charge. This was a good choice, for many reasons, as Haskill was very devoted to Shivering Isles, and to Sheogorath. When he had left, Haskill had formed a council of eight-two Manics, two Demented, two Dark Seducers, and two Golden Saints, to rule help in his rule. Naturally, he chose the most loyal to Sheogorath.

The first of these was Autkendo Jansa, supreme commander of the Dark Seducer armies outside of Pinnacle Rock. Fiercely loyal, extremely cunning, and very patient, Jansa was a perfect choice for a Dark Seducer leader.

The second of these was Aurmazl Zudeh. Like Autkendo Jansa, Zudeh was in command of the Golden Saints, apart from those of Brellach. Faithful to Lord Sheogorath, powerful, and impulsive, Zudeh was a model Golden Saint.

Third and fourth were Dylora and Staada. Although they were equal in rank to Jansa and Zudeh, they held authority within their respective strongholds. They were both able commanders, and efficiently governed their fortresses.

Fifth was the new Duchess of Dementia, an Altmer sorceress named Essalma of Alinor. Essalma, unlike Syl, was cautious, but not paranoid. She kept a firm grip over Dementia, and her subjects feared her. However, she had been a capable leader, and had improved the living conditions of Crucible. She was a feared tyrant.

Sixth was the new Duke of Mania, a Khajiit named Ri'sra. Ri'sra was often too drunk to know what was going on. In other words, he embodied Mania.

Seventh and eighth were Arctus and Dervenin, the High Priests at the Sacellum Arden-Sul. Although they argued frequently, their input in important subject matters was invaluable. They had both been able to please their respective populations.

As the last two arrived, Haskill began the meeting. "It seems," he said in his usual depressing tone, "that Lord Sheogorath is dead, and we are without a leader. Sadly, we can't simply pass the title of Daedric Prince from one person to another. Unless we do something soon, we can be sure Jyggalag will want his realm back."

"Well," Duchess Essalma said snidely, "Did Lord Sheogorath have any children?"

"Several." Haskill answered.

* * *

Farwyn, Brallion, Samia, Alveleg, and Ervil were in a dark room, performing a summoning. "Night Mother," Brallion said, "Sister of Mephala, Bride of Sithis, come to our aide. Falinesti needs to be ruled properly. Aleria has left useless Ministers in charge. Blood is not being shed and souls are not being given to the void. We beseech thee for your aide." 

A ghostly apparition appeared before the group. The Night Mother herself had appeared before the group. "Brallion, I see what you need. You want me to take the life of Lord Redwood, who was done nothing to aid your cause. However, I will need payment in blood. I want the soul of a young Bosmer. With the death of one our Speakers, the Void is growing ever wider."

The group lit up in shock. Both Brallion and Farwyn knew that they were safe from this price. Samia didn't worry, but Alveleg and Ervil were terrified. Brallion, however, had a plan that wouldn't sacrifice any of his friends. "Night Mother, Farwyn has impregnated Samia, the girl before you."

Samia gasped, and Farwyn looked like he liked the idea. "I see," the Night Mother said. "When the child is born I will claim its soul. Lord Redwood will meet his demise shortly."

* * *

And after a long update, that's the chapter. I know it wasn't much of a "Battle of Diss," but I promise that there's a better battle scene coming up! In fact, there are a few of them. 

And once more, I encourage you to cheer!

Till next time, which is hopefully sooner,

Necromancer and Sorcerer.


	15. 14: A Different Plan

Edited Author's Note: For those of you who've already read this, there was some sort of problem with the uploading and one paragraph got cut out...and so did a line. So, I've fixed. Okay, keep reading.

Author's Note: The next two chapters take place simultaneously. That is to say, this chapter will be focusing on certain areas, and the next chapter will focus on other areas, but everything will be going on at the same time. I could probably make them one chapter, but it would be a long chapter (maybe not quite so long as the Battle of Bruma, but still long enough to warrant two different chapters).

Chapter 14: A Different Plan

Lord Redwood, Hand of the Emperor of Valenwood, one of the few surviving members of the Council of Falinesti, was just waking up. The last few days, Tamriel had been unstable, and Falinesti was by no means an exception to the rule. In fact, chances were that Falinesti was worse, because of the objection to Aleria's rule. Not that Lord Redwood objected to the Empress Regent.

In fact, the Hand of the Emperor was one of the few who benefited from the Empress Regent. He was one of the few she trusted, one of the few who had managed to stay on the Council for a reasonable amount of time. In the past few days alone, three people had been removed from the Council. That was rare, even for Aleria.

However, Lord Redwood was confident that Valenwood, and, more importantly, Falinesti, would triumph in this war. Once Woodhearth had fallen, the rebels would be put in line. The Kingdoms of Woodhearth and Haven would yield, and the united forces of Valenwood would march into Cyrodiil and Elsweyr. The territory that once belonged to Valenwood would be reclaimed.

The only problem now was Farwyn. Farwyn would be full Emperor in five years. He was rash, erratic, and short tempered. If he weren't controlled, he would lead the great Empire of Valenwood down a fiery road of doom and destruction. He would destroy all his mother had worked for.

Fortunately, that was still five years away. Five long years. Aleria would rule for that long, and, hopefully, she would instill her strength and values into her son. And while Aleria was away campaigning, Lord Redwood would rule Falinesti.

That's what comforted him now. That he was in charge of Farwyn. He had complete control over the city, and Farwyn could do nothing to stop him. At least that's what he thought.

Lord Redwood walked out of his lavished bedroom and down several hallways to the Court Dining Hall. Lady Oakenelm and a few minor nobles were there, but that was it. He took his proper seat at the right of the head of the table, the seat reserved for the Emperor. Exchanging good mornings with the various courtiers, a member of the help walked over and provided him with a large piece of meat, the standard Falinesti breakfast.

Lord Redwood took a bite of the piece of meat, and thought it tasted different. He felt queasy, he felt on the verge of death. He realized that had been poisoned…by Farwyn. No, that was too clever for Farwyn. Brallion Yggdrasil would have been responsible. He was clever enough, and he would be able to exert influence over Farwyn. With his dying breath, trying to identify his murdered to the others, Lord Redwood cried, "BRA-"

* * *

The Palace of Morrowind had changed significantly over the past day. There were less people living in it, for starters. Many of the nobles had been relocated to shelters throughout the city…if they were lucky. Some of the nobles, namely of House Hlaalu, had been arrested or killed. As of now, only a the ladies of the Royal Family, the Duchess of Tear, Countess Olvesa, a few Redoran nobles, and a dozen or so servants lived within the Palace. 

Princess Madsea had been lucky, in the sense that she had been able to keep her mother out of the dungeons. Although her mother was a traitor to the Temple, Madsea still loved her dearly, and Antama wanted her mother free. If all went well, Madsea would be able to get her mother back into the good graces of the Temple, and spare her.

Princess Madsea had become Queen in all but name now. Her father was with Iszel Septim, and, according to all reports, had abdicated the Throne, to become High Chancellor. Her Aunt Morgiah and brother Ralas had escaped capture, and fled the city. Madsea had no idea where they were now. According to Telvanni spies near Tear, the Duke of Tear had managed to return with Gorvyn and Melvor.

Apparently, Morgiah and Bildam had conspired against the Temple, using Ralas as the heir. Since Ralas had agreed to this plan, as had Melvor and Gorvyn, they were traitors to the Tribunal Temple, and therefore, had no rightful place on the Throne of Morrowind. Madsea, who was indubitably going to be officially declared Queen within days, had heard the High Archanon refer to them as the "Reformation-Monarchist Party" in one of the speeches he made.

Madsea disagreed with the term. They were "Reformation Monarchists," but they weren't a party. They had no say in government. Calling Madsea and Countess Olvesa members of the "Traditional-Monarchist Party" was appropriate. Calling the others part of a "Reformation-Monarchist Party" was absurd.

That was something else that had changed. There were now political parties in Morrowind, aside from the Great Houses. Although there were officially four of these political parties, the "Reformation-Monarchist Party" had been all but officially outlawed.

Today was the first meeting of these parties. They would be meeting in what was once the Throne Room of Morrowind. Madsea, as a member of the Royal Family, was permitted to attend this meeting, as was Antama. Even her mother was permitted to attend, although she was forcibly silenced.

Madsea entered the Throne room, and looked around. On her left was the High Archanon and many of the Temple Officials, including Archanon Llathala of Sotha Sil. Madsea noticed that many people on the left wore silver and purple, or red. The colors of House Indoril and House Redoran. Everyone on this side of the room was a member of the "Temple Party."

In the center of the room were the Duchess Bedene and a few others. A couple of them wore red, but there were mostly nobles dressed in green, the color of House Dres. Madsea noticed that this was the smallest of the groups, and noticed that is was the "Moderate Party."

On the right was where Madsea intended on sitting. In the front row, she saw her mother and sister. Although there were people next to Antama, no one dared go any closer to the Queen. However, Madsea had not intended to sit with her mother. On the far right of the room was Countess Olvesa. This section of the room was the most multi-colored section. Many wore yellow, the color of House Hlaalu, and there were several in green as well. Countess Olvesa and another Telvanni nobleman wore blue, the only ones in the room to do so. There was even one dressed in red.

The High Archanon stood up from his seat on the far left, and walked to the front of the room. "Welcome, nobles, priests, and citizens of Morrowind to the first ever meeting of the Provincial Assembly." There were thunderous applauds from the left, and decent amount of cheering from the center, and a polite, small clap from the right. "Thank you. Before I begin the meeting, I feel that everyone here deserves a full explanation of the past few days."

The Assembly was quiet; all of them were interested in what the High Archanon was going to say. Even many members of the Temple Party were uncertain as to what had happened. Helseth was King, Ralas was King, Madsea was Queen…no one was quite sure which was true.

"A few days ago, at the start of the week, there was a meeting in the Imperial City in Cyrodiil. It was another fruitless debate, with every province angry at every other province. Until it was decided that the various provinces would war for the Imperial Throne. Many of the provinces went to fight for themselves, including Summerset Isle, High Rock, Valenwood, Skyrim…even Orsinium." There was a silence, and the High Archanon continued. "Morrowind, however, under the rule of Helseth Hlaalu, stayed loyal to the Empire! We had a chance to become supreme, but Helseth and House Hlaalu ruined us!"

Madsea felt uncomfortable listening to her family name being besmirched, but knew that she had to remain silent. The High Archanon had nothing against her, personally, and she knew that the people would not stand for her coming to harm. However, it was still nerve-wracking to hear the noble name of Hlaalu looked down upon.

"Now, we of the Temple, have found a new ruler…one greater than any man or mer! We have found our God, Vivec, who will lead Morrowind to a new golden age, where Dunmer will rule over all other races." There was a look of confusion throughout the room. While most of them had heard of Vivec's supposed return, rumors had been vague and unspecific at best. Now that it was the High Archanon's official position…things were going to change.

Madsea grew even more uncomfortable. Vivec was going to be made Emperor…where did that leave her? She could always been Queen of Morrowind, but she would be on a leash…a very tight leash.

* * *

News of Lord Redwood's death spread quickly. It was perfect Bosmeri gossip: no one knew who killed him, and there would be a shift in power. The only surviving member of the Council of Falinesti still in Valenwood was Lady Oakenelm. And while Aleria had great trust in her, half the court disapproved of her. 

Farwyn, Brallion, Samia, Alveleg, and Ervil had arrived at breakfast, where they saw Lady Oakenelm waiting for them. "Your Imperial Majesty," she said bowing to him.

"Oakenelm, we're taking over!" Farwyn cried rashly. Brallion rolled his eyes as Alveleg and Ervil drew their swords.

The guards in the room looked to confused to react. However, Lady Oakenelm calmly said, "Well of course you are." Farwyn and the others became instantly happy. Only Brallion suspected anything.

"What?" he asked.

Lady Oakenelm forced a laugh, and said, "Brallion, you don't have to take over anything. Without Aleria's appointed ruler, the Emperor is naturally in charge." She turned to Farwyn. "It's not my fault your mother didn't leave anyone else in charge."

Farwyn looked ridiculously satisfied and smug. Alveleg and Ervil were confused. Samia walked over to Farwyn, and leaned against him, kissing him. He quickly kissed back, and said, "Hold on. We'll go to my room in a minute." He turned to Lady Oakenelm and said, "Get the army ready. We're doing what I said we should do…we're going to Anvil."

Lady Oakenelm smirked as Farwyn and Samia left, followed by Ervil and Alveleg. Brallion stayed behind, and looked at Lady Oakenelm cautiously. "What are you doing, Nona? I know that you're up to something, as do my parents. I'd be careful if I were you."

Nona Oakenelm laughed. "And I know you and your parents are up to something, Brallion. I'd be careful if I were you, Brallion. If you don't mind, I'd like to go follow the Emperor's orders."

* * *

A group of soldiers had entered a cave, only to find it infested with vampires. They had been sent outside of the Imperial City to find Miranda Umbranox and Valin Matinus. Little did they know, however, they had found the right cave. 

Miranda and Valin were still in the far back of the cave, with Valin lying on the verge of death, in an unconscious state. Miranda had heard the fighting, but would not leave Valin alone. She could only hope that the soldiers would defeat the vampires, and that they would be rescued.

* * *

The High Archanon had just finished his masterful oration, and both the Temple and Moderate Parties had risen to applaud him. Only the Traditional Monarchist Party had not stood, and had barely made a sound. Madsea, in particular, had been disgusted by what he had said. 

Countess Olvesa stood up next, and walked to the same spot the High Archanon had been standing. Antama began to applaud her, but was quickly silenced by Dinara. Madsea didn't need anyone to tell her that it was becoming dangerous to support the monarchy.

"People of the Provincial Assembly," Olvesa began. "The High Archanon has made many valid points. The Hlaalu's have used their power and influence to modernize Morrowind, to change what has lasted for thousands of years." There was an awkward silence. The Temple Party and the Moderates looked suspicious, while the Traditional Monarchist Party looked betrayed. "However, I have found us a true heir to the Throne of Morrowind, one who embodies past tradition, and one who is open to the future…so long as that future will not change what was right. I have found Morrowind a Queen to rule under our great Emperor, Vivec! A Queen who will rule by the Doctrine of the Temple! A Queen with the wisdom of Telvanni, a Queen with the strength of Redoran, a Queen with the tradition of Dres, a Queen with wealth of Hlaalu, and a Queen with the power of Indoril! A Queen that will throw aside her house to appease all! I bring you Madsea of House Morrowind, the true Queen of Morrowind!"

Madsea hesitated before standing, but at the urging of the other Telvanni noble in the room, she did so, walking over to the front of the room. She joined Countess Olvesa, who continued her speech. "People of Morrowind, this is the true Queen! She may be young, but with the guidance of the Temple, she will rule Morrowind for a thousand years, while our great God, Vivec, will rule Tamriel. She will lead us, his most devoted, his most honored, and will sit at his right hand!" The right side of the room began cheering, as did the center. Even some on the left began to cheer, although the High Archanon and Archanon Llathala were not. "Provincial Assembly of Morrowind, what say you? Will you have our great High Archanon anoint the true Queen of Morrowind! She is not Madsea Hlaalu, but Madsea of Morrowind! She has thrown aside her house for you, the people! What say you?"

Madsea did not fully understand that Olvesa had practically forced the High Archanon to anoint her Queen. At the urgings of the crowd, the High Archanon stood, reluctantly, and said, "Very well." There was a roar of cheers, and Olvesa knew she had just put her party into power.

* * *

Farwyn's army was boarding the ships near Falinesti. For a city connected to a major sea by a river, Falinesti had a very large navy. Not that Farwyn planned to use the navy for anything but transportation purposes. Fighting through ships wasn't as exciting as fighting with swords and axes. 

Brallion had to admit that, while Farwyn wasn't the brightest star in the sky, was certainly a gifted tactician. He knew how to win wars…at least militarily. He needed some other people for the political aspect, but that's what he was there for. To teach Farwyn how to rule.

Farwyn's plan was brilliant, and simple. His forces would board a ship, land a few miles away, and attack Anvil. Although this would leave Falinesti virtually defenseless, Farwyn had nothing to worry about. Woodhearth and Haven weren't strong enough to fight through Valenwood, Cyrodiil was preoccupied, Elsweyr was not the strongest of military powers, and Summerset Isle…well, Summerset Isle hadn't done anything yet. There had been rumors of what most of the provinces had done, but they had heard nothing from Summerset Isle.

However, Brallion had one objection to Farwyn's plan. Leaving Lady Oakenelm in charge of Falinesti while he was gone. Brallion advised him that Lady Oakenelm was untrustworthy, but Farwyn didn't believe him. Farwyn's logic was that Lady Oakenelm had allowed them to take over, so she should be rewarded. Brallion was hoping he could appeal to Farwyn's male-dominance belief to have his father appointed, but it didn't work. Lady Oakenelm was the highest ranked person in the city.

Brallion would leave with Farwyn, as would Alveleg and Ervil. Farwyn was forcing Samia to stay behind…although he told her it was because he didn't want her to get hurt, Brallion figured that it was because Farwyn would have numerous affairs while he was away. Brallion was shocked at his stupidity at times. The last thing Valenwood needed was a competition for the throne.

Brallion knew that Farwyn needed him at the battle. Although he was young, Brallion was one of the most gifted mages in Falinesti. Not only that, he specialized in lightning bolts and conjuring up storms. If times were more peaceful, and he wasn't needed in Falinesti, he probably would have gone to study with Psijic Order on Artaeum in the Summerset Isles.

As he boarded the flagship of the Fleet of Imperial Valenwood, _the Royal Willow_, Brallion received a feeling that, during his absence, something would happen in Falinesti. Something bad. Aleria would return early, or something of the sort. Brallion could only hope that Farwyn's plan went well.

* * *

In the city of Wayrest, only Prince Eadwyre remained of the Royal House of Wayrest. The rest of his family, including his daughter Elise, had been evacuated to Orsinium. Eadwyre, the Crown Prince, had been left in control of the city…not that there was much to control anymore. 

Ever since his mother's declaration that the army of Wayrest would concentrate on protecting Orsinium, people had been leaving the city. They were afraid, and rightfully so. There were enemies all around them. High Rock was Mathilda's…Orsinium and Wayrest were big, but Eadwyre was unsure if they were big enough to hold off an attack from the rest of High Rock.

Eadwyre could only hope that all would go well.

* * *

In the Shivering Isles, in the Palace of New Sheoth, a woman and a beast, met with Autkendo Jansa and Aurmazl Zudeh, the Mazkan and Aureal commanders. Neither of the Daedra could make out whom the woman and man were, they were shrouded in shadows. All they knew was that they had been summoned there by "friends."

"Autkendo, Aurmazl." the woman imperiously said. "I'm glad you accepted my invitations."

"What is it, mortal?" Zudeh asked, impatiently as ever. The woman laughed, and the beast fell to the ground, apparently stumbling.

"Aurmazl, I have a simple proposition for you and the Autkendo." the woman continued.

"Calm down, Zudeh." Jansa ordered, collected and calm. "Now, what is your proposition…Your Grace?"

* * *

"Madsea Hlaalu-" the High Archanon began, before being interrupted by Countess Olvesa. 

"Madsea of House Morrowind." she corrected.

The High Archanon gritted his teeth, reluctant to coronate the brat in the first place. She was still a Hlaalu, he didn't care what Olvesa said. Morrowind needed no monarch but it's true God, Vivec. "Madsea of House Morrowind, Princess Royal of Morrowind, Princess of the Blood of Morrowind, Daughter of Helseth Hlaalu and Vendama Dres Dinara Hlaalu, Granddaughter of Lady Barenziah, do you swear to use your power as Queen to enforce the will of the Tribunal Temple and the God Vivec?"

Princess Madsea, kneeling at the knees of the High Archanon, bowed further down, and said, "By the Tribunal and the Anticipations, I swear to use my rule to bring glory to the Tribunal Temple and the God Vivec."

"And, do you swear to use your power as Queen of Morrowind to bring justice of to the common people? To use your power and influence as a _Constitutional Monarch_ to defend the commoners, to defend their faith and the ideals of the power change?" the High Archanon said. Olvesa glared at him when he said the words Constitutional Monarch…aside from the Emperor, the Kings of Morrowind had always been autonomous.

"By the Tribunal and the Saints, I swear to use my reign to bring glory to the people of Morrowind." Madsea responded.

"And finally, do you swear to uphold the noble Great Houses, Indoril, Redoran, Telvanni, Dres, and Hlaalu? Do you swear to keep the noble bloodlines clean, and cure those lines that are corrupted? Do you swear to bring all five Houses back to Dunmeri Traditions, and expel those non-Dunmer?" Olvesa found this vow unnecessary…after the death of Martin, many people who had moved from province to province returned home, afraid, and wanting to be with their families. Only House Hlaalu had a few non-Dunmer members.

"By the Tribunal and the Great Houses, I swear to purify the noble bloodlines of Morrowind." Madsea said, swearing her third vow.

The High Archanon nodded, and indicated for Madsea to stand. "Madsea of Morrowind, by the Tribunal, by the Anticipations, by the Saints, by the Temple, and by the Great Houses, I anoint thee Her Royal Majesty and Her Grace, Queen and Duchess Madsea of the House of Morrowind, First of Her name, First of Her house, Queen of Morrowind and Duchess of Narsis."

* * *

The Fleet of Imperial Valenwood had set sail for Anvil. It would be a short sail…there was only a twenty-mile distance from Falinesti to Anvil, and only a four mile distance from the landing point and Anvil. 

The city would surely be taken by surprise. With the army in Bruma, the city's defenses would certainly be weakened. If Farwyn's plan went well, everyone in the city would die. If Brallion talked some sense into Farwyn, they would capture the Countess and her family, as well as any other nobles in the city before burning it to the ground.

Farwyn, Alveleg, and Ervil were inside the meeting room of _the Royal Willow_. Brallion was alone on the deck, tired of Farwyn's company. He didn't even know why he was friends with Farwyn (aside from the obvious reason of him being Emperor). Farwyn was simply put, a jerk and an idiot. He barely knew how to read despite all of his expensive tutors and professors, he weighed brawn as more important than brawn, he was a sexist pig…the list went on. Brallion didn't even know how he had gotten involved with Farwyn. The children of high Clergy didn't usually spend time with the children of royalty.

Brallion stood at the front of the deck, at the front of the ship, staring out into the cold, misty weather. Brallion hadn't even noticed it turn so cold…it was unusual this time of year. He wondered what had happened, what had caused the mist. He wondered why he helped Farwyn.

He wondered why he didn't flee to Wayrest…

* * *

Morgiah and Ralas had just arrived in Old Ebonheart. They undercover, of course…with the civil war, they couldn't risk being identified until they could began to gather support. It was true that Old Ebonheart was the Imperial Capital of Morrowind, but it was a small town, and very few Dunmer, even Hlaalu, lived there. This was not the place to start a resistance. Sure, the Imperials were on the side of the monarchy, but they had too much going on to quell a rebellion. 

The two of them were in heavy cloaks, meant to hide their faces. If it was possible, they wanted to avoid being recognized as Dunmer. If not, it was necessary to avoid being recognized as two prominent members of the Royal Family.

Morgiah knew that this situation seemed grim. While she had heard rumors that the Duke of Tear had been able to escape with Melvor and Gorvyn, there were also rumors saying that the Queen had been captured. If Dinara was captured, chances were that Madsea and Antama were captured as well. Not that Morgiah cared if Madsea were captured.

Ralas turned to his aunt, and began to say, "Aunt Mo-"

"Shut up. We're trying to pass as Imperials." she whispered. "Call me Aunt Morgan, and your name is Remus."

Ralas seemed as if he understood, and continued. "Aunt Morgan, I'm not feeling well."

Morgiah was tired of hearing him complain repeatedly. She knew he had medical issues that he was born a weak child and didn't weigh enough, or whatever it was that the royal healers had complained about, but now wasn't the time. Their lives were in danger. If Ordinators found them, it would be catastrophic.

"Not now Remus. When we get to Seyda Neen." Morgiah had chosen Seyda Need as the destination for their ship, because she wanted to stay as far away from the city of Vivec as possible. The Foreign Quarter and the Hlaalu Canton might provide support, but chances were that the Ordinators had already stormed them.

* * *

The Fleet of Imperial Valenwood had arrived four short miles south of Anvil. It was midday, and if all went according to plan, Anvil would be attacked within two hours, just as sunset. The city would burn in the nightfall. 

Farwyn Willows, Emperor of Valenwood, stepped off _the Royal Willow_ majestically. Wearing the finest of armor, carrying the finest of equipment, and standing over two feet taller than everyone else there, he looked like an Emperor. He was proud, commanding, and tall. His armies looked at their young, thirteen-year-old Emperor in awe.

"My army!" he shouted to the five thousand or so Bosmer _men_. Unlike their Emperor, many of the Bosmer soldiers wore makeshift equipment, unsurprisingly. Valenwood was the poorest of the Provinces (with the exception of Orsinium). "We're here to attack the city, kill the men, and rape the women! Do this for your Emperor!"

Brallion struggled not to laugh during Farwyn's speech. He couldn't help it. His words weren't inspiring in anyway, they didn't provide support. His men were impressed by his height and equipment, that's why they respected and feared him.

Farwyn marched to the front of his army, closely followed by Ervil and Alveleg, the only two that came close in matching Farwyn in size. Brallion thought it was stupid that Farwyn would lead his men into battle when he could simply watch from behind…but that was Farwyn. Stupid. If he didn't lead his own troops, surely he'd be a coward.

* * *

"General," an Imperial soldier said, bursting into Castle Anvil. 

"What is it, soldier?" Brigadier General Drusus Nuccius, commander of the Imperial Legion of Anvil.

The soldier, a bulky man, panted. "An army is coming to the city!" he cried.

"What?" the Brigadier questioned. In his thirty years serving in Anvil, Drusus had never seen the city attacked. Unlike many other parts of the Empire, after the Oblivion Crisis Anvil remained peaceful. Nothing ever happened in Anvil. That's why he joined the Legion in Anvil. So he could keep up the Nuccius name as soldiers and only deal with petty criminals at the same time.

"An army's attacking!" the soldier foolishly reiterated.

"What symbol did the army bear?" Drusus asked, trying to determine who is foe was. He had never fought in war, so he was unfamiliar with many of the symbols, but if it were something nearby, he might recognize it.

"A giant tree." the soldier replied.

Although Drusus didn't know from what Kingdom or Duchy or whatever it was that a giant tree came from, he did know that it meant Valenwood. Valenwood wasn't a problem. The Bosmer were small and weak, and they were not the greatest of fighters. It would be a quick battle.

* * *

Madsea, Queen of Morrowind, was making her coronation speech. The High Archanon wasn't listening, he didn't need to listen. He knew that Madsea would turn to Countess Olvesa for advice, and that the Throne of Morrowind would stay in power. He knew that Olvesa would sacrifice some power to maintain a peaceful relationship, but she was shred enough to keep the monarchy in power. 

The Traditional Monarchist Party had just won power, and the High Archanon knew he needed to get the power back in the Temple Party. He had Vivec's support, and that was always a good thing, but…but the Tribunal had been outsmarted before. They had been defeated before.

Vivec mentioned killing Helseth and his family, but would he condone harming a twelve-year-old who supported him. The High Archanon had noticed something different about Vivec when he had been found…but still. Would a God truly allow the murder of a child?

No.

Would he?

That was the question. The High Archanon knew that, while Vivec was establishing himself as a political figure, he would have nothing to do with the politics. His goal would be gaining the faith of the people, the support of the people. If Madsea supported Vivec, than the people would too, and than Vivec would grow to favor her.

Unless…unless…unless he did something…drastic.

* * *

Farwyn's army had arrived at Anvil, and, as they expected, there wasn't much resistance. Yes, the gates had been barred and shut, but that wasn't much of a problem. There couldn't be more than two or three hundred guards defending the city. 

Farwyn, at the front of his army, led a mad charge against the gate. There were archers on the wall, many of them firing at Farwyn and his two companions, but he managed to deflect all of their arrows.

The Army of Imperial Valenwood followed their Emperor in admiration. They were growing to love him. He was strong and powerful, and that's what Falinesti wanted. A leader who could command the people.

Farwyn, without a battering ram, just began to slice through the gate with his broadsword. The broadsword, which was over four feet long, began smashing through the gate. Arrows continued to pour down as the Army of Imperial Valenwood followed the example of their beloved Emperor.

* * *

"Quickly, quickly now!" Drusus shouted. While most of his men fought at the gate, he and a small group of elite soldiers were attempting to escort the Countess's family (her siblings, nephews, and nieces) out of the Castle. 

The group was going through a secret passage that led to a small cave outside the Castle. The previous owner of the cave was supposedly a Master Thief, but, more importantly, a close friend of Axenon, the late Champion of Cyrodiil, and Camandila, a member of the Council of Mages.

Drusus, after seeing the size of the army, decided that, even if the Bosmer were terrible fighters, had strength in numbers. And there leader…he was taller than the Brigadier General himself. He was…he must have been that Farwyn Willows, who was taller than any other Bosmer ever born.

Drusus hurried the last members of the Countess's family through the secret passage. He had never been in the passage, but from what he understood, it was fairly straightforward, although long. It was supposedly four miles long, in fact. Drusus had difficulty believing it, but he couldn't of been sure.

And that was why he hurried.

* * *

Farwyn was the one who broke down the gate. And when he did, the entire army charged into the city, killing every man and boy in sight. Farwyn had specifically ordered them to leave the women alive…for now. 

Brallion, who carried a dagger, was leading a small group of soldiers through the city to the Castle. Farwyn had assigned him the most important job: capturing the Countess and her family and any other noble in the Castle. Brallion had been given this job because he would have the most ease getting into the Castle, and because Brallion would be sure to be the most careful with the prisoners.

As Brallion and his group of a dozen soldiers reached the first gate into the Castle, he threw a lightning bolt. The gate cracked, and his men began to charge it. Brallion was surprised to see that there weren't men stationed on top of the gate, firing arrows down upon the armies.

When the gate had fallen, Brallion ordered that the men move faster. If there weren't guards, it meant there was a secret passageway, and that they were trying to escape. As he saw the second gate, another three lightning bolts took flight, and the gate fell quickly to the ground.

* * *

Farwyn was fighting three Imperial soldiers at once. They were no match for him individually, so, as he patrolled the streets, looking for teenaged girls, they had ganged up on him and attacked. Even though one of them had been able to cut his arm, they were unable to match him in power. 

He knocked one of them to the ground, stabbing him before the other two could do anything about it. Dueling the other two became easier…not only because there was one less of them, but because they had lost confidence. He knew he would triumph.

The second one of the three lunged at him, and he narrowly dodged it. As he did, he twisted and stabbed the third one, who fell to the ground, unable to fight. Farwyn tried to stab the one who had missed him, but as he struck forward, the second soldier evaded his thrust.

As Farwyn stumbled, the soldier was able to hit him in the back, and knock him to the ground. Farwyn fell, face first into the ground, and lost track of what was going on…until he heard a quick breath of air. Farwyn turned right side up, only to see the soldier's sword flying straight at him.

When he turned to roll away, the sword pierced his lower left side. Farwyn gave a yell of pain, but in a rage of adrenaline, jumped up and tacked the soldier to the ground. No longer using his sword, Farwyn strangled the life out of the soldier who had wounded him. He picked up his sword again, feeling tired, and stabbed the third soldier, killing him instantly.

He then collapsed.

* * *

Brallion and his men had broken into the Castle with no resistance. He knew that could only mean that they had already gotten as far as the secret passage itself. 

No one was in the Castle. Apparently, every member of the court had been evacuated as well. Brallion had no idea to find his way around Castle Anvil, he had never been there.

However, he did know where the secret passage would most likely be…in the Countess's quarters. Trying to find a possible location, he looked around the Castle's great hall. Looking up a dual flight of stairs, he saw a centrally located door. He knew it had as good a chance as any to check it out.

He ran up, followed by his guards, and forced the barricaded door open with the use of some spells. Charging into the room, he found he was right. There was an open secret passage, leading into a hall, guarded by two Imperial Legionnaires, who were quickly overwhelmed by Brallion's escort. He needed to rest his magicka.

Brallion's escort charged into the passageway as he rested, preparing to catch up to them. If the Countess and her family had tried to escape this way, than they were about to be captured. Soldiers moved faster than elaborately dress nobles.

* * *

Countess Miranda Umbranox had been rescued, and the guards told her that Count Matinus would survive his wounds. She was relieved that she could return to the Imperial City, swear her allegiance to the new Empress (who the guards had told her about), and than return home to Anvil. Little did she know, it wouldn't be that easy.

* * *

Drusus's forces were nearing the exit of the passageway. Even with the infant members of the House of Umbranox, they had managed to keep a good pace. Apparently, the passageway was four miles long. 

As they reached the end of the tunnel, the Brigadier General said, "You two," he had pointed to two of the escorts. "Exit the tunnel, and tell me what you see. We have to make sure it's safe."

The two men did as instructed, but as they left, the General heard running coming from down the passageway. The entire passage had become silent, save the running now. The echoing footsteps could only mean that the Bosmer had successfully tracked them down.

The General changed his orders. "Run!" he cried, and the nobles of House Umbranox, and their escort, did their best to get outside of the cave.

However, leaving the cave was no safer than inside the cave. The Umbranox escort had brought the family four miles south of Anvil, just where the Fleet of Imperial Valenwood had landed. A few Bosmer who had stayed behind at the ship drew their swords, and Brallion and his men followed them out of the cave.

Brallion had them lined up, and asked, "Which one of you is Countess Umbranox?" When no one answered, Brallion grew testy. "If you will not tell me who Countess Umbranox is, all of you will be executed." Although he was bluffing, he knew it would bring an answer out.

It was a little girl who answered. "Auntie Miranda left a long time ago."

Brallion sighed, and ordered, "Very well. Arrest them all. Bring them back to the city-the long way. I do not want you to use that passage. Hurry up!"

* * *

Finally, an update! Sorry about the length of time between updates, but I stopped writing for a while, and it took some time for me to catch up. 

So what did everyone think of the chapter? This is personally one of my favorites…not because of the Valenwood stuff, but because of Morrowind, which is becoming the most enjoyable plotline to write about. For any one who doesn't know, the Morrowind plotline was inspired by the French Revolution, and, to a lesser extent, the Russian Revolution.

And as far as the simultaneous chapters go, this one focuses mainly on Farwyn Valenwood, Morrowind, and Anvil (and a brief moment in the Shivering Isles and Wayrest). Next chapter will be Aleria Valenwood, Elsweyr, Hammerfell, the Imperial City, and I might do some Argonia and Daggerfall…depending on my mood. After that, I'm finally going to bring back Iszel…you remember Iszel, right? Girl with the silver and red hair who seems to get on everyone's nerves (including mine).

Anyway, don't forget to root for you favorites, insult your hated foes, and give some constructive criticism. Although I'm not going to promise anything, I'm going to try to update at least once a week. It's not a promise, but I can almost guarantee twice a month now.

So, everyone who reads this, please review, and I hope to update soon.


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